Spring is finally in the air! If you have kept indoors during the cold winter months and are looking for some accessible and inclusive events around Sydney for you and your friends, family or disability support worker – here are some ideas in no particular order:
1. Sydney Fringe Festival
Running from the 1st September until 30th September, the Sydney Fringe Festival is celebrating its tenth anniversary and is bursting with music, theatre, art and performances. Our tip is to see the outdoor performance of Speed: The Movie, The Play which is set around an actual vintage bus in Atherden Street around The Rocks. Every event venue for the festival has been listed including the accessibility details such as lift options, assistance dog allowances and if it is well lit. See sydneyfringe.com/venue-accessibility for more information.
2. Pyrmont Festival
If good food and wine is what catches your eye, don’t miss the Pyrmont Festival from September 28th until October 6th. This community run event is free of charge to enter, with over 100 market stalls featuring some of the best regional produce from The Salami Man, Second Mouse Cheese Co and many more. The festival is held outdoors at the Pirrama Park Playground, which has wide level paths, shade from trees, accessible bathroom facilities and disabled street parking.
3. Oz Comic-Con
It’s time to don your favourite character costume! Featuring the latest in Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Anime, Video Games and pop-culture, this year the Sydney event has special guests such as KJ Apa (Riverdale), Hayley Atwell (Captain America) and Luke Baines (Shadowhunters) to name a few! On September 28-29. Since it is held at the Sydney Showground in the centre of Sydney’s Olympic Park, the facilities have been designed with accessibility in mind so that all patrons can feel comfortable including seniors and people with mobility, vision, hearing or intellectual disabilities.
4. The Big Anxiety
Australia’s largest mental health festival is back - bringing a series of conferences, workshops, performances, interactive experiences and exhibitions around Sydney. The Big Anxiety is this year themed ‘cultivating empathy’ and is an initiative of UNSW in collaboration with the Black Dog Institute and other mental health awareness organisations. It runs for six weeks from September 27th till November 3rd. Accessibility has been carefully considered for this event, for example selected events will be Auslan interpreted, and selected events will provide tactile tours.
5. Diversity Fest
Celebrate inclusiveness with gigs and panel discussions for the week starting Monday September 23rd ending September 27th. Held at the University of New South Wales in Kensington and featuring sporting and music stars this is a festival not to miss! Our pick is Game Changers, a panel promoting diversity in sport with current Wimbledon Champion Dylan Alcott and AFLW player and former netballer Sharni Layton.
6. Explore the Blue Mountains Walking Tracks
New South Wales national parks have some incredible family and wheelchair-friendly tracks, such as Fairfax Heritage walking track in the Blackheath area of the Blue Mountains. The track is 1.8km one way and offers native wildflowers as well as scenic lookouts with waterfall views. Take advantage of the quieter times on the tracks before more tourists arrive in the summer months!
Don’t forget, New South Wales school holidays kicks off on 28th September!
Do you know exactly where you would like to go, but want an event buddy to accompany you? Home Care Heroes has the perfect solution for you. With plenty of vetted Heroes to choose from in Sydney, Newcastle and the Central Coast NSW, sign up now to find someone based in your local area who has similar interests to your own. Home Care Heroes is an NDIS-approved provider with a $40 per hour flat rate, including weekends and public holidays!
If you are already signed up with Home Care Heroes, sign in as a Member or Hero now to access these events on our Events page.