On the 21 September we are excited to have an interactive experience ‘Shop, Share and Care’ happening at the Creative Hobart pop up stall for visitors and stallholders. Janelle McMillan an advocate for people with communication disability and a creative artist is hosting a stall. Janelle is the author of the children's book "Rafting, a wheelchair won't stop us" and a 2020 recipient of the Order of Australia Medal.
Janelle is partnering with Variety Tasmania to host the stall which will showcase Janelle's artwork, including canvas prints, mugs, postcards, and her books. All money raised from sales on the day will be donated to Variety Tasmania.
We encourage everyone to visit the stall, see her digital artwork, her creative process and learn about the different ways you can communicate with non-verbal community members. She will also have a Unlocking Communication(PDF, 2MB) brochure which provides information on how people with various conditions rely on Augmentative and Alternative Communication devices.
Although Janelle chooses not to use this style of communication device to talk to people, Janelle and Variety will be challenging visitors to try to use the brochure in navigating around the market and communicating with friends, family and even stallholders!
Customers with disability are first and foremost customers. You may find that they have different ways of communicating with you, people or tools to assist them and require some modifications to the environment to be independent and engage with ease. At the end of the day your interaction is the same. Customers or patrons visit a shop or a market stall to make a purchase and you can learn how to support them .
Making a shop or stall accessible doesn't have to be overwhelming or complicated. Simple things like having the right attitude, an easy to access stall, and clear communication will help ensure everyone enjoys the market and shopping experience.
Event details
Date: 21 September 2024
Location: Find her stall in the Plaza next to the information booth at Salamanca Market.
Further information:
The Hobart Access Advisory Committee has developed event resources to help in planning events. Read or download our resources here:
Running your own event - City of Hobart, Tasmania Australia (hobartcity.com.au)
To watch a video from ABC Hobart on Janelle click on the link below
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-28/janelle-mcmillan-non-verbal-on-being-understood-cerebral-palsy/101021122