CEO Update: July 2022

NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia in the first week of July each year, to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 

NAIDOC Week, from 3-10 July this year, is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories and participate in celebrating some of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth.  

At Ability Options, it is part of our mission under our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) to continue to support, recognise and move towards reconciliation with Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders. 

For the last two years, we have been unable to come together to celebrate this important part of Australia’s cultural identity due to COVID-19 lockdowns. 

Now that life has started getting back to normal, we can take an opportunity to connect with each other once again and share our knowledge and experiences. 

Last year’s NAIDOC Week saw us partner with Evolve Communities in a Cultural Training Program, which built awareness and understanding for all employees and Directors. 

Originally conceived in 2016, our Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan set out to strengthen and shape our relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, Elders and service providers through focussing on building respect and creating opportunities with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 

Today, we remain committed to reconciliation, as we continue to focus on creating more opportunities for First Nations people in our community. As a leading provider of community services, we have a team fully dedicated to the inclusion and equity of all people. 

In 2022, Ability Options’ RAP Committee has continued to develop an updated and improved ‘Stretch’ Reconciliation Action Plan, which we are aiming to send to Reconciliation Australia for review by 30 September. We’re so excited to reveal this plan. 

I encourage you to keep an eye out for stories on some of the fantastic people that make Ability Options the inclusive workplace it is today – we will be sharing those stories with you on our website. 

I hope you all enjoy your NAIDOC Week celebrations.

To read more about Ability Options’ commitment to reconciliation and inclusion, click here.