One Light Charity Campaign image of young boy and girl with disabilities sitting on the edge of a pool getting instructions from instructors

Changing attitudes towards people with Disabilities

by OneLightCharity Foundation

  • $50,000.00

    Funding Goal
  • $33,961.00

    Funds Raised
  • Campaign Never Ends

    Campaign End Method
Raised Percent :
67.92%
Minimum amount is $5 Maximum amount is $
$
, Australia
OneLightCharity

OneLightCharity Foundation

20 Campaigns | 0 Loved campaigns

See full bio.

Campaign Story

Adults with Disabilities

Only 53 per cent of Australians with disabilities are employed, compared to 83 per cent of all working-age people.

Positive exposure in the media, personal contact and education could change attitudes to disability. However, the Government and non-profit organisations could also raise awareness about best practices and inclusive assistance.

Some people look at the suicide rates and are in shock of the high numbers. But yet what is being done to help?

Please help us to change negative attitudes in workplaces

One Light Charity supports “Trauma Sensitive” workplaces. We care about what’s happened to you, not what’s wrong with you. We would like to see more workplaces build a support network to assist in the healing journey.

By giving a small donation you can help us to change lives.

Children with Disabilities

One Light Charity Campaign image of young boy and girl with disabilities sitting on the edge of a pool getting instructions from instructors

Children with disabilities and developmental delays are most commonly identified in childhood. Developmental delays are often caused by conditions like Autism, Down Syndrome, Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus.

We support and make donations to charities that provide services, information and resources to families and children with disabilities.
These services should include physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers, speech and language pathologists, and education advisors.

Family support and therapy services

  • Support and counselling throughout the pregnancy and after the baby is born.
  • Visiting the family in hospital and when the baby comes home.
  • Information for new parents.
  • Playgroups, information sessions, hydrotherapy and family events.
  • Regular telephone contact, home visits, and outreach trips to families living in regional areas.
  • Providing family support for families when they are attending medical appointments such as Spina Bifida Clinics at the Children’s Hospital.

Image of One Light Charity Manager shaking hands with young man in blue shirt from SBHQ

Being a parent of a child with a disability can be challenging and stressful. Parents – particularly mothers – have been shown to report poorer physical and mental health than mothers of typically developing children.

There is a range of reasons why parents of children with a disability may experience poorer mental health:

 

Preventing the abuse of children and young people with disability

We must understand what can make children with disabilities more vulnerable to abuse and neglect so that steps can be taken to protect our children and prevent abuse from happening.

  • Children with a physical disability might be more vulnerable to neglect or to rough and intrusive personal care. They may also be physically unable to resist or avoid abuse.
  • If communication is difficult, children with a disability find it hard to let someone know that abuse is occurring.
  • Children with behavioural issues are more likely to be dealt with in a forceful or restrictive way, and indicators of abuse might be wrongly attributed to the behavioural issue.
  • Children with a disability might be more dependent on others to meet their needs, and care may be provided by someone other than a parent or primary carer.
  • Greater structure and protection of children with disabilities can teach them to be more compliant with adult demands.
  • Children might accept abusive treatment if they have a common understanding, self-esteem or low perception of their abilities.
  • Children with disability and their families can be more socially isolated.

One Light Charity image of a young woman working for brave hearts standing behind a table raising funds for children who are abused at the Bartercard Shopfestival

We support the three tiers of prevention program:

  • Educate
    All children and young people should receive evidence-based, age-appropriate personal safety education.
  • Empower
    All adults should be trained, aware, and motivated to protect children, and adequate specialist counselling and support should be made available to child and adult survivors of sexual assault and those who support them. 
  • Protect
    All community and government systems should engage effectively and respond at all times in the best interests of the child.

Please click on the “Updates” tab to read more about how we supported The Courage Project.

Community hub for parents

One Light combined forces with the Matt Rogers charity 4ASDKids, Peddle Thorp Architects and Condev Construction Pty Ltd. This project incorporated the refurbishment of two existing classrooms and the creation of a community hub. Children, teachers and parents moved into the new much-improved facility.

Parents of young children with newly diagnosed disabilities will now meet with other families for information evenings and support  at the community hub.

newly constructed community hub for children with disabilities

  • The Courage Project

    New Service in Mackay

    Mum and children smiling at camera

    Bravehearts and Mackay Women’s Service formed a recent partnership to deliver a new service in Mackay
    called ‘The Courage Project’ – a service dedicated to providing trauma-informed mental health for children.

    Furniture for the Mackay counselling rooms

    Bravehearts will use the One Light Foundation Grant to furnish the Mackay counselling rooms, ensuring that the funding they received
    remains focused solely on increasing service delivery to young people who have experienced
    sexual harm, exploitation and abuse. The new service Launch date was set for 15 October 2020.

    Thank you so much for your wonderful support! We will ensure that our Team sends you some pictures once the furniture has been purchased! We are so grateful and on behalf of the children, thank you!

    Kind regards,

    Jo Compagne

    Supporting children with a mental health illness

    Support services will be provided to children and young people (under the age of 14) who are at risk of developing a mental health illness or who already have a diagnosed mental health illness, who have experienced or are at risk of experiencing child sexual assault and exploitation and/or physical violence which may precipitate a mental health illness and support services to their non-offending family members.

    Healing journey

    The service utilises evidence-based, trauma-informed approaches to support children and young people in their healing journey and works with children and young people individually as well as and their non-offending family members and support services. The service is supported by funding from Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) through the Australian Government’s PHN Program.

  • Donating 100 pairs of school shoes

     

    Geebung Special School staff receiving 100 pairs of school shoes

    Geebung principal and deputy principal

    We had the opportunity to meet up with the Principal and Deputy Principal of Geebung Special School in Brisbane.

    The school features an orchard and a wide variety of play spaces to promote creative, imaginative and fun learning opportunities like a purpose-built gymnasium, indoor pool, bike track and sensory garden. The large block of land allows the special needs students to utilise aspects of Nature Play both in and out of the classroom, giving them many opportunities to engage with the natural environment.

    All students are encouraged to become as independent as possible, working towards achieving the school motto ‘I can do it myself’.

  • Thank you Able Australia volunteers

    Gary Culver and Edmund Mc Mahon, shared what volunteering at Able Australia mean to them and its positive impact on their senior and disabled clients.

    One Light Charity volunteers hands over gifts to two older men doing volunteer work

  • Crossroads Disability Program

    Two men and young woman standing next to each other with trees in the background

    The Newlife Care Inc. Charity Golf Day was hugely successful on the 15th of July. This year’s proceeds will support people living with a disability. Brett Lush from Crossroads Gold Coast is telling us more about their fantastic program and how they will use the raised funds. See video here

    Because of the support and generosity of our donors, we were able to donate this fantastic golf day fundraising prize.

    The five-night destination prize, WikkiWikki House is situated in Bobs Cove Nature Reserve, New Zealand.
    • Included is an outdoor Hot Tub, BBQ & Pizza oven.
    • 10 minutes scenic drive from Queenstown and close to Lake Wakatipu.

    Collage of holiday destination in New Zealand

     

  • Set Free Care

    Two women wearing black and white holding four One Light Charity Foundation makeover certificates Four Pink One Light Charity Foundation Makeover certificates

    𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥

    Edith Kennedy, Director and Operations Manager of Set Free Care, told us that employment agents attend every Friday between 11 am and 1 pm to support their homeless and disabled clients with employment options. She thanked our donors for their kindness and said that the makeover vouchers would help to increase confidence and self-esteem.

  • Crossroads Disability Program

    A prize for the silent auction fundraising component of the Newlife Care Golf Day.

    Raising funds to provide relief from poverty, destitution, incapacity, disability, helplessness and homelessness.

    A Fiji travel package certificate

Name Donate Amount Date
Deborah McPherson Bartercard Brisbane $5,000.00 June 14, 2022
Bartercard Australia Small business donors $3,000.00 October 08, 2021
Bartercard Members Bravehearts $6,461.00 October 26, 2020
BC members Grant - ARC4PTSD $2,500.00 August 10, 2019
BC members Grant - Bravehearts $1,000.00 August 10, 2019
BC members Grant - SBHQ $1,000.00 August 10, 2019
$15,000.00 June 22, 2019
$0.00 June 21, 2019