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CatholicOutlook October 2011 11Carolyn D’Mello: “People with disabilities have gifts and talentsand are able to contribute.” Photos: Alphonsus Fok & Grace LuMore than 2,000 people from over 45 organisations packed the Sydney Town HallCommunity Care, Health and SupportParticipating in the Sydney AllianceFounding Assembly was CarolynD’Mello, case worker with Aging,Disability and Homecare, part ofthe NSW Department of Familyand Community Services.A parishioner of St Nicholas ofMyra, Penrith, Carolyn is there tosupport people with disabilitiesand their families; both by makingknown available services andhelping families access additionalresources. In doing so she hopesto build the capacity of families torespond, giving them greater controlin their lives.For Carolyn her entire approachechoes the ‘Don’t DIS my ABILITY’campaign. “People with disabilitieshave gifts and talents and are ableto contribute,” she said.For Carolyn a major problem isthat society struggles to recognisethis. Stigma and the dislocationcaused by parallel services (separateservices for people with disabilities)works against this recognition.The flow-on effect is thatmany “… people with disabilitiesaren’t citizens participating in thecommunity as yet.”Her concern is that this canlead to the professionalising ofrelationships for people with disabilities.“Some people with disabilitieshave professional carers,but not friends.”Carolyn’s approach, of focusingon people’s gifts and talents,finds expression in asset-basedcommunity development.This approach to communitydevelopment is popular withinthe partner organisations of theSydney Alliance.“Too often people ask what’swrong with a community andthen try to fix it,” she said. “Inasset-based community development,we say, ‘Hey, what’s workingwell in a community? Let’s domore of that.’ It’s about workingwith the community.”Carolyn is not alone. In listeningcampaigns across Sydney peoplespoke up about their vision fora Sydney where everyone can participatefully in their communityand at work because everybodyhas care and coordinated servicesat significant times of their lives,and those providing care are supportedand valued.