Blue Skies Conversations
From the development of the Blue Skies Scenario in June to the end of 2009, Blue Skies engaged Queenslanders in conversation about inclusive communities.
Over 135 conversations took place, involving approximately 1,500 people across Queensland exploring elements of the vision that have meaning for them.
Feedback from all of these conversations is available in Talking about Blue Skies: Responses to the vision—available for download in PDF and Word. This document represents the feedback as it was provided by conversation hosts and/or individuals.
A brief summary of conversation outcomes is also available in the Fruits of 3 December Conversations presentation (available in PDF and Word).
Blue Skies would like to acknowledge the contributions to this work from the many wonderful conversation hosts and participants across the state. We acknowledged that this feedback was given freely and generously, and represented a shared commitment to a better future for people with disability.
Background on the Blue Skies Conversations
Following the launch of the Blue Skies Scenario, Blue Skies issued an open invitation to host or be part or a deeper conversation about turning our vision into reality.
Participants were invited to RSVP to one of the conversations being hosted around the state or host their own conversation around an element of the Blue Skies vision that matters to them.
To host a Blue Skies Conversation, people were asked to:
- Download our Information kit for hosts;
- Register their conversation (please find the registration form in the kit);
- Hold their conversations on or before 3 December 2009; and
- Send us their feedback by 8 December 2009.
About the Blue Skies Conversations
| Conversations took place in: |
People taking part included: |
Questions explored during conversations included: |
- Brisbane
- Aitkenvale
- Beenleigh
- Biloela
- Boonah
- Cairns
- Gladstone
- Gold Coast
- Goondiwindi
- Gympie
- Mackay
- Magnetic Island
- Noosa
- Rockhampton
- Roma
- Sunshine Coast
- Toowoomba
- Townsville
- Victoria Point
- Wide Bay
They were held in:
- Workplaces;
- Community centres; Libraries;
- Hotels;
- Homes; and
- Around kitchen tables.
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- People with disability;
- Volunteers;
- Parents and siblings of people with disability;
- Individual advocates;
- Systems advocates;
- Support workers;
- Teachers, Principals;
- Disability organisations;
- Peak bodies;
- Local Govt Association;
- Architects;
- Developers;
- Local Councillors;
- Members of Parliament;
- Policy writers;
- Ministerial advisors;
- Board members;
- Public servants from Dept of Communities, Housing, Queensland Health, Education Queensland;
- Queensland Police Service;
- Community Resource Centre;
- Ageing in Place;
- Health consumers network;
- Queensland Disability Housing Coalition;
- Queensland Council of Carers; and
- Queenslanders with a Disability Network.
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- What would it take to create an inclusive community?
- What action am I willing to take to make it happen?
- How can everyone achieve a home of their own in the community?
- How do we build support for a National Disability Insurance scheme?
- How can we help others learn from our experiences as parents of children with disabilities attending main stream education?
- How do we create a welcoming school community?
- How can we turn our local Police Citizen’s Youth Club into a creative and vibrantly productive place for young people with a disability?
- What would it take to create a society where community is available to all young people?
- How can we encourage local business to be more welcoming to people with disability?
- What does local government do now towards building a more inclusive community and what would it take to do more?
- How do we tackle the problem of homelessness and disability?
- What would it take to reduce the number of people with disability in the criminal justice system?
- How can we make better use of people’s gifts and talents in developing a more inclusive community?
- How can we support families to achieve their potential, where one or both parents have a disability?
- What must be done so that all jobseekers with a disability are meaningfully employed?
- How can we create a bright future for people with a disability exiting the foster system?
- How do we create more, disability friendly spaces and places in our local community?
- What would it take to create a pathway into sport of people with disability?
- How do we support capacity building?
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