Getting kids with disabilities playing in sport is a joyous job
By Peter Cardy
Name: Peter Cardy
Job title: Disability Inclusion Officer, NSW Department of Education school sport unit.
What do you do?
I provide a range of sporting opportunities for students with disability across NSW. I also support teachers with resources and professional learning to help them best meet the needs of their students.
What is a typical workday like for you?
In my role I am either preparing, promoting or delivering events and professional learning. Hosting 100 activities per year means plenty of administrative work needs to be completed: booking venues, registering schools, organising timetables etc, then long hours travelling the state delivering programs. Hosting events from Bega to Ballina and west to Broken Hill means plenty of kilometres are clocked up each year.
How long have you been doing this job, and what first sparked your interest in this area?
This is my third year in the role and I absolutely love it. Since I started my teaching career, I have always been involved in school sport. I’ve coached teams, convened championships and officiated at all levels.
My first experiences with disability sport came when I taught a student with a limb deficiency – her arm stopped at the wrist. I helped the family to get their daughter a sporting classification for multi-class competition, and she went on to represent at state level in swimming and athletics. The growth in her self-confidence and the respect she gained from their peers blew me away.
What do you like most about the job?
Seeing the joy students have when engaging in sport and being physically active is wonderful. I love that we provide students with disability the chance to represent their schools in competitive sport.
What was the most unexpected thing you have had to do in your job?
The variety of tasks associated with this role are amazing and the reason why it is so enjoyable.
It’s the International Day of People with Disability on Saturday – what does that mean to you, and what is the importance of it for the students you work with?
It is an excellent way to increase the awareness of students with disability in our education system. It helps to highlight the importance of inclusion and our programs help teachers to achieve this through adaptive and modified activities suited to the needs of each individual.
How transferable are your skills?
The role is ultimately that of a teacher – plan, prepare, deliver and modify to meet the needs of students. The skills I have acquired in this role would be transferable to numerous positions in the workforce from event management, sport coordination, coaching, NDIS and the disability sector, to advertising, consultancy, education, sales and media.
Did you have a different career before you worked at the Department of Education?
I started my career as a horticulturalist in wholesale nurseries, before running my own gardening business. In these roles, I learnt the importance of organisation, budgeting, advertising, positive relations and staff management, skills I use on a daily basis.
What experience do people need to get into this field?
It is such a rewarding career and there are plenty of pathways in and around this field of work. My specific role requires a teaching degree, passion for sport and keen interest in supporting students with disability. There are plenty of jobs out there offering similar roles, supporting people with disability through sport. These could be as a personal carer/ NDIS support worker, sport deliverer or event management.
What personal skills do people need?
Being a hands-on role, strong organisational skills and a proactive approach to tasks is a must. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are required due to the volume and range of people with whom you interact on a daily basis. Empathy and passion, to improve and increase the quality and quantity of opportunities for students with disability.
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Source: Thanks smh.com