Think I can’t? Think again! Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Week, 8 – 15 Nov …

Tim McCallum was embarking on his career in the music industry when, at 18 years-old, a diving accident left him with a spinal cord injury (quadriplegia).

Despite being told he wouldn’t be able to sing like he used to, Tim defied expectations and returned to the stage by adapting his singing technique to compensate for the physical challenges of his disability.

Tim now sings better than ever and performs some of the greatest tenor arias to a national audience – famously appearing on The Voice Australia earlier this year.

Tim is the national face of Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Week (8-15 November 2015), a national campaign raising awareness of spinal cord injury (SCI). As Tim demonstrates, people with SCI have the ability to overcome barriers and achieve their goals.

But it’s also up to people in the community to ensure our society is inclusive and accessible for everyone – and ensure we don’t miss out on the skills people with SCI have to offer.

Locally, Julie Van Keulen and David Wood are sharing their stories for Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Week to encourage people in the community to do what they can to make our society inclusive and accessible for people with SCI.

Gregory Perry is CEO of ParaQuad Association of Tasmania Inc., part of the Australian Spinal Injury Alliance – a collective of the country’s eight leading SCI charities that hold Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Week each year.

“The Alliance represents the interests of all Australians who have sustained SCI. We hope Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Week helps Australians understand that whilst SCI is a serious and life-long disability, people with SCI are involved in all aspects of life and are contributing to the community in many different ways. We can all support people with SCI by making our society as inclusive and accessible as possible.” Gregory Perry said.

Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Week activities are running across the country from 8th to 15th November 2015.

See us at-

Centrepoint Shopping Centre Food Court, 70 Murray St, Hobart 7000 Mon 9th Nov ( 10am- 2pm )

Prospect Vale Market Place, 350 Westbury Road, Launceston 7250 Thurs 12th Nov ( 10am- 2pm)

Salamanca Bakehouse, 5/47 Salamanca Square, Hobart 7004 Sat 14th Nov ( 10am- 2pm )

Visit www.sciaw.com.au for more information and resources to help promote inclusiveness and accessibility.

Notes …

• More than 10,000 Australians are living with spinal cord injury and around 350 to 400 people sustain a spinal cord injury every year in Australia.

• The Australian Spinal Injury Alliance represents eight of Australia’s state-based spinal cord injury organisations to provide a national voice for all Australians with spinal cord injury.
David Wood, Julie Van Keulen, David Cawthorn, Gregory Perry ParaQuad Associaion of Tasmania Inc.