Funds to buy Sonar yacht to enable disabled people to participate in sailing

18/8/99
People with disabilities will get new opportunities to participate in recreational and competitive sailing following the Lotteries Commission's decision to fund the purchase of a Sonar yacht.
Disability Services Minister Paul Omodei this evening presented a Lotteries cheque for $47,600 to the chairman of Sailability WA, Mr Ron Douglas, at the South of Perth Yacht Club.
Although relatively new to Western Australia, Sailability is a world-wide network of organisations that aims to encourage participation in sailing by people with disabilities.
Mr Omodei congratulated all those involved in the Sonar project.
"The State Government is firmly committed to making Western Australia a totally welcoming community in which all services and activities are accessible to people with disabilities," he said.
"Good progress is being made in removing barriers to accessibility, but it is only through community groups that people with disabilities will get opportunities like this.
"Sonar Yachts will be used in next year's Paralympics which means that West Australians will now have a much better chance of gaining selection.
"A WA crew has been funded by the Australian Yachting Foundation via the Australian Paralympic Committee to compete in the world championships in Spain next month, so obviously the talent is there."
Mr Omodei said that the new Sonar yacht would be housed at the South of Perth Yacht Club where it would be assured of on-going care and maintenance.
In return, it would be used in sailing academy programs, but Sailability WA and the WA Disabled Sports Association would have first call on it.
Sailability WA was closely associated with local yacht clubs and would provide links to enable people with disabilities to participate on an on-going basis as crew members once they had been trained to a suitable level of proficiency.
Media contact: Hugh Ryan 9213 6700