Two new Variety Sunshine Coaches have been delivered to Rutherford Tech High and Yandelorah School this March.
The donation of the Sunshine Coaches equipped with wheelchair access will ensure students living with a disability will no longer miss out on the same opportunities as other students including attending the community programmes, sports activities and excursions.
During a visit that included heartfelt speeches at Rutherford Tech, Teliah, the Deputy Principal for Inclusion and Support called the Sunshine Coach a “game changer.”
“It’s a game changer for our students. With what you have done and what you’ve given us, you’ve given us the resource that our students do get to access the curriculum in the community on the same basis as their basis as their peers, because we have the ability to transport them there.”
The impact of these coaches is already being felt. Owen, a student at Rutherford Tech, has sadly often missed out on extracurricular activities due to the lack of appropriate wheelchair-accessible transport. In the past, he had to rely on his parents or face the frustration of taxis not being wheelchair accessible resulting in delays or missing out altogether.
“We can be as prepared as possible, have transport booked in and for whatever reason they don’t show up or they’re running late. And there are only so many community buses that are wheelchair accessible and only so many taxi services that have the hoist,” Teliah shared.
Now, thanks to their new wheelchair accessible Sunshine Coach, Owen can finally be included in all school events – carnivals, out of class learning, excursions, swimming lessons, and his favourite event – Starstruck!
The impact is just as profound at Yandelora School, which supports over 100 students with intellectual and physical disabilities. The new Sunshine Coach will allow students to “go beyond the gates” and engage with the wider community in Narellan, opening new opportunities for learning and extra-curricular activities.
Variety Sunshine Coaches play a crucial role in ensuring no child misses out. To find out more, visit https://www.variety.org.au/nsw/programs/sunshine-coaches/
