It’s a Boogie Wonderland at the Northside Recreation Group disco!
Dancing and jiving with your friends to iconic disco soundtracks is a universal experience, and Canberrans living with disabilities deserve to have a safe space to dance, too.
Thanks to local woman Karen Champion funding the disco from mostly her own pocket, this is a reality that the disabled community cherishes.
“At the end of the night, they’ve had a great time. It’s the look on their faces, the sheer exhaustion of dancing – it’s all worthwhile,” smiles Karen.
“I think it’s important to recognise that people with disabilities deserve to have the same experiences as people who don’t. They deserve to be able to go and have a dance.”
The group have been getting down on the dance floor every Tuesday night since 2018 when Karen and a friend brought their disco idea to life.
From seven-year-olds to Canberrans with walkers, everyone and anyone with a disability is welcome at the Northside Recreational Disco.
The spark of inspiration began while Karen was with her clients in the car, and she realised that every time rock ‘n’ roll came on the radio they came to life, singing and dancing during their drives.
“They’re rocking and rolling in the vehicle, so it was obvious that everyday music was really familiar to them. So, we try and play age-appropriate music and just go for it … and they love rock ‘n’ roll,” she says.
Making the space exclusively for people with disabilities is a crucial element of the disco, as Karen says the mainstream clubs and bars are not accepting of people with disabilities.
Although some individuals find it very difficult to leave their homes, she says on disco night they’ll spend hours getting ready, go out for dinner, and then dance the night away. It’s the highlight of their week.
“When it comes to inclusion, they can’t go to normal nightclubs because alcohol is involved, and people can get quite abusive towards them. This is a safe environment for them – they pretty much get everything but the alcohol,” Karen says.
“It’s a win-win. They get to socialise, and some individuals who haven’t really shown a lot of response to things, they hear a song they like come on and they get up and dance!
“Their carer who supports them is usually like ‘wow, I never knew that should do that’. We’re getting through to people. Music touches everyone – there’s no discrimination with music.”
For over 20 years, Karen has been a pillar in Canberra’s disability sector, choosing to dedicate her career to enriching the lives of people living with disabilities.
“I wanted to make a difference, and the disability sector was an avenue for making change. I don’t mean changing the person themselves, but their situations and environment,” she says.
“I’m particularly passionate about educating people around disabilities and being a voice for them and advocating for them in all avenues of their life.”
The disco operates at one location in North Canberra, but Karen and her team are searching for a community hall on the southside to expand their program so more Canberrans with disabilities are able to disco, too.
“Palmerston Community Hall that we currently hire on the northside is a very good, safe environment, and it means that the individuals don’t have to be watched all the time,” says Karen.
“They can move around the area and the entrance to the hall is quite safe. So, we are looking for a similar environment on the southside. There’s a big call for us to expand to the southside and I’ve been working on finding a venue for a good eight months now.
“We just want to bring the disco to both sides of Canberra.”
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