For Us, By Us: Young People Exploring Disability is a FREE social after-school program for young people, created and led by young people. Through social connection, knowledge sharing and education, young people will be supported by their peers to build knowledge about disability, connect to community, and foster disability justice and pride.
This program is supported by grants from Telethon7 and the City of Melville.
Interested in joining the program? Round 4 of For Us, By Us runs from 23 June – 21 July! It’s not too late to jump in!
Sign up here: For Us, By Us: Young People Exploring Disability – Sign Up
Are you:
- A young person aged 12-17 who is neurodivergent, disabled, or experiencing mental health challenges? (no diagnosis required!)
- Looking to build connection with other young people with similar experiences?
- Unsure what your rights and needs are, or are curious about exploring topics on disability?
Join us for this unique after school program where you can yarn with peers, get crafty, and learn to:
- Understand models of disability
- Learn about accessibility & accommodations
- Foster disability justice & pride
The For Us, By Us program will support young people to:
a) Build connections with young peers with disability and ways to connect with the broader disability community
b) Understand models of disability and language around disability
c) Explore and build understanding of their disability rights and needs
d) Explore disability identity and pride
Program Information
Dates: Tuesdays for 5 weeks from Tuesday 23 June – Tuesday 21 July 2026
Time: 3:30pm – 5:30pm
Location: A.H. Bracks Library & Creative Space – 431 Canning Hwy, Melville WA
Accessibility:
The building has the following accessibility features:
- Plenty of free parking in the carpark out the front of the building
- ACROD parking bays out the front of the building
- Wheelchair accessible entrance and walkways
- Accessible toilets
- Bus stops nearby – Plan your public transport journey here
- Bus routes 111 & 910 stop on Canning Highway right by A.H. Bracks Library
The program will be catered to meet the needs of the young people participating, this includes:
- Fidget toys and craft materials
- Food and refreshments that accommodate dietary requirements and food allergies
- A wide range of activities and ways of engaging in the program e.g. verbal conversation, writing, art or interactive
- Safe and judgement free space to self-regulate e.g. stimming, using fidget toys, walking around
- Breaks built-in & able to be taken any time
- A low-sensory quiet space to go if overwhelmed or in need of a break
- Live captioning (on request)
- Interpretation services (e.g. AUSLAN, Language interpretation) (on request)
- Physical document print outs (on request)
- Plain English documents (on request)
A detailed guide on finding and navigating the building will be sent out to participants upon sign-up.
The learning structure:
The program will be conducted face-to-face, with a variety of different activities and ways of engaging to ensure flexibility to meet the learning styles and access needs of young people participating in the program. This may include hands on activities such as crafting, drawing, writing, etc.
Have other accessibility needs not listed here?
YDAN are committed to ensuring that the program is accessible for all young people with disabilities. To discuss how we can accommodate your needs, please contact Arye (he/they) For Us, By Us Project Support Officer by emailing ForUsByUs@ydan.com.au
For Parents/Guardians
Safety
YDAN is committed to upholding the safety of children and ensuring alignment with the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.
We have the following measures in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the children that participate in the For Us, By Us Program:
- All staff have a current WA Working with Children Check and National Police Clearance
- Comprehensive Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy
- Providing youth friendly and accessible information for children on their rights and the process to make a complaint to YDAN or an external body
- Children and parents can make contact with YDAN staff at any time to express concerns and share their experiences
- Multiple YDAN staff members will be at the workshops to ensure staff and participant safety, and will be available to talk to participants and guardians at any time
If you have any questions regarding safety or the program, please contact our Youth Programs Manager Jenni, using the details listed below.
Contact
For more information or to view this in a different format, contact Arye – For Us, By Us Project Support Officer at ForUsByUs@ydan.com.au or Jenni – Youth Programs Manager at Jenni@ydan.com.au.