General News
15 February, 2024
Inclusion boost for school
In a show of support for children with disability in the community, Brite has donated a $15,000 Brike to the Maryborough Education Centre’s (MEC) Specialist Setting. Brite is a not-for-profit charity that employs people with disabilities, while...
In a show of support for children with disability in the community, Brite has donated a $15,000 Brike to the Maryborough Education Centre’s (MEC) Specialist Setting.
Brite is a not-for-profit charity that employs people with disabilities, while supporting their lives by innovating products such as the Brike, a three wheeled, battery assisted bike able to transport a rider and a passenger in a wheelchair or fixed seat.
MEC principal David Sutton said he is thankful for the donation, which will promote inclusion across the school.
“Kaine Bodey, one of our specialist teachers, indicated to me that his brother, Zac Bodey, who volunteers at Brite, had come up with an idea to donate a Brike for our students,” he said.
“We will have half a dozen students who will be able to benefit, plus we have students and staff who will be the riders as well.
“We do cycling here with the students in the specialists school a couple of times a week and it will allow greater participation from all of our students in that activity.
“Our school is all about inclusion, that is central to all that we do and whenever we do an activity that can’t involve everybody, there is a sadness around.
“This will really make sure that everybody can be involved in a really fun activity.”
Alongside his idea of donating the Brike, Brite volunteer Zac Bodey is also participating in the Ballarat Marathon in April, already fundraising over $1000 towards the charity.
Mr Bodey said he takes pride in being able to support people anyway he can.
“I came up with that idea when I went to Brite and I really wanted to donate to this school and help out my brother,” he said.
“I fundraise to help people with disabilities, to get more people on the team and spread some smiles.”
Brite treasurer Tom Carra, who has 25 years experience in innovation projects and disability accommodation, heard about Mr Bodey’s idea when he was providing housing for him in his role as director of Accessible Housing Victoria.
When he heard the story, Mr Carra decided to buy the Brike himself and donate it to the school.
Mr Carra said the charity will continue to provide equal opportunities for people with disabilities.
“Brite employs people with disability and gives them jobs such as packing products, making products like the Brike, and growing plants,” he said.
“Keeping differently abled people employed gives them a sense of purpose to the community.
“To see how excited all the kids were [about the Brike] was amazing and we know that it will make a big difference.”
Brite chair John Carter said the innovation of the Brike came from the importance of including input from people with disabilities when creating accessible products.
“We at Brite wanted to do something innovative — we first formed a partnership with universities in the northern suburbs of Melbourne,” he said.
“We basically had a big workshop to work out what could we do collectively that would be an employment opportunity for our workers and be related to disability.
“Because the Brike has been designed right from scratch and because it goes to these wonderful causes, there is an enormous sense of achievement to assemble and put it together.”
