Source: Fairfield City Champion [JENNA DAROCZY]

Local carers and care-providers converged at Fairfield Council for a summit on meeting the needs of people with disabilities around the city early this month.

The 'Enabling People with Disabilities' workshop also invited participants to engage with the council's Disability Access Action Plan, to join the council's Enabling Access Action Group and to plan for International Day of People with Disabilities in December 2008.

A spokeswoman for the council said the day delivered constructive feedback for future action.

''Participants enthusiastically offered [the] council their ideas about how to improve positive change, how to raise public awareness about their disability access issues and also offered feedback about many positive things that are offered to residents with disabilities in Fairfield City,'' the spokeswoman said.

Kristy-Lee Kenny of Northcott Disability Services said the summit provided an insight into the needs of carers.

''It was really good to see that we, as care providers, are on the same wave length as carers in terms of better ways we all want to help people needing care and where any extra funding should be directed, like to our lengthy waiting lists,'' Ms Kenny said.

''I attend a lot of these forums through Northcott, but it's been a while since one was held in Fairfield and it was great to interact with locals here.''

Other organisations represented on the day included Fairfield Migrant Resource Centre, Fairfield Community Health Centre and the Spanish and Latin American association for Social Assistance (SLASA).