Event description
The Our Choice Expo is conducted during HaS (Having a Say Conference) which is a national disability conference with a difference. It has people with disability involved at every level, from planning to volunteering. Plus, it ‘brings the fun’ like no other conference.
HaS has an average attendance of 1,000+ participants each year from every Australian state and across Victoria. We expect to be back to normal numbers in 2024 after 850 people attended the post-COVID conference in 2023.
Having a Say continues to be an event full of events, that is, there are five events within the overall conference: the Our Choice Expo, Talent Show (formerly Red Faces), Come & Try Activities, Art Competition and self-advocacy awards. All activities are focused on providing people with a disability with opportunities to contribute, learn, present, perform, celebrate achievement, be inspired by their peers and experience new things.
Aims of the Having a Say Conference
The Having a Say Conference aims to empower people with disability through:
- Opportunities to celebrate ability and achievement
- Being part of the planning and running of the conference
- Participation in an annual conference in a location outside Melbourne
- The opportunity to ‘have a say’ about issues that affect their lives
- Opportunities to be heard by politicians, government and service providers
- The opportunity to meet people from around Victoria, Australia and overseas