Overview

Join award winning autism advocate and consultant Bryce Pace as he brings his dynamic, one of a kind, ‘Understanding Autism’ workshops to Ballarat.

Through these workshops you will have the opportunity to explore the topics of Autism, Neurodiversity and learn how you can make your business and community more autism friendly.

These workshops are one of a kind as each session is uniquely catered toward what each participant would like to gain from attending. Whether it be to better understand autism and neurodiversity or to learn more about some of the accommodations your business can make to cater for the autism community.

We will be there to support you wherever you are on your accessibility journey.

Whether you are a business owner, tourism operator, DES provider or community member, these workshops are not to be missed.

Tickets are on sale now, limited spots available!

Workshops

Understanding Autism in Tourism

Every year Ballarat attracts thousands of diverse visitors from around the world who enjoy the beautiful parks, accomodation and experiences on offer. It is important to understand though that Tourism may not be accessible for everyone in the same way.

Did you know that 90% of Australians with a disability have a non-visible disability such as autism?

In this workshop, you will have the opportunity to learn about autism, neurodiversity, and ways you can make your tourism business or event more accessible for Autistic individuals.

Learn about

• Autism & Neurodiversity                                                 

• The barriers faced by autistic tourists                             

• Accessibility resources available to Tourism Businesses

Cost

$50

Sessions

Tue 16th July: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Wed 17th July: 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Understanding Autism in Employment

Did you know that autistic Australians experience unemployment at a rate that is almost 6 times higher than Australians without disability?

In this workshop, you will have the opportunity to learn about autism, neurodiversity, and ways you can make the employment process more accessible for autistic job seekers.

Learn about

• Autism & Neurodiversity.                                     

• The barriers faced by autistic jobseekers          

• Inclusive and accessible employment practices

• Accessibility resources for inclusive employers 

Cost

$50

Sessions

Tue 16th July: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Wed 17th July: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Understanding Autism in the Community

In this workshop, you will have the opportunity to learn about autism, neurodiversity, and how you can support autistics in your community and at community events. This workshop is ideal for community organisations, support workers or anyone who would like to learn more about autism.

Learn About

• Autism & Neurodiversity                                 

• Barriers faced by autistics in the community

• Accessibility resources 

Cost

$50

Sessions

Tue 16th July: 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Wed 17th July: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Payment Methods

We are excited to offer various payment methods through our ticketing partner Humanitix to cater to everyone’s budget, including:

• Card

• Afterpay and Zip Pay so that you can pay in instalments

• Invoice for those who need one for NDIS or work.

Please note we are not an NDIS registered provider so please check with your plan manager for eligibility.

All you need to do is choose your preferred payment method at checkout. Full refunds are available up until 7 days prior to the event.

We are excited to host these workshops at Ballarat Central Library located in the heart of Ballarat’s CBD which can be accessed by:

Car

There is parking available in the surrounding streets and also multiple car parks located throughout Ballarat’s CBD.

Bus

The closest bus stops are located on Doveton St N/Midland Highway and can be accessed by routes 12 and 30. (Plan Trip)

Train

The Ballarat Library is located 500 metres from Ballarat Train Station.

Presented By

Bryce Pace

He/Him

Bryce is an award winning autism advocate who is passionate about creating a world that accepts, Includes and embraces human diversity. Bryce was diagnosed with autism at the age of 8 and in 2022 publicly came out as bisexual in his blog post on Autism & Sexuality published on his business’ website.

 In 2016 Bryce founded his autism consultancy business Bryce Pace - Autism advocate with the goal of changing the stigma that surrounds the autism spectrum. Since then Bryce has had the pleasure of working with a diverse range of organisations including Dylan Alcott’s Consultancy organisation, Get Skilled Access. Through his involvement with these organisations he has facilitated workshops around autism and disability access, performed environmental audits and represented the autism community on panels at conferences. He has also participated in focus groups throughout Australia contributing to the creation of a world that is accessible to all.

Companion Registration

We are excited to be able to offer free registration to eligible companion card holders. If you would like access to this ticket all you need to do is add a companion ticket add-on at registration. Please note you need to purchase at least one full-priced ticket to be eligible and show your eligible companion card at the door.

Hidden Disability Sunflower

We proudly support the Hidden Disability Sunflower Program and encourage anyone with a sunflower lanyard, wristband or pin to wear them to the event. Wearing a sunflower product lets us know that someone has a non-visible disability such as autism and may need some additional support or time. You can learn more about the program and where to find Sunflower Products by heading to: https://hdsunflower.com/au/

Sensory Information

These workshops are designed to be a sensory friendly experience. and will include:

Fidgets tools

There will be a variety of fidget tools available to use throughout your session.

Audio/Visual

There will be a quick 2 minute video that will be played during the Understanding Autism in Employment Workshops, however, no other session will use any videos or sound system.

Quiet Space

Unfortunately, we were unable to organise a sensory room or quiet space at this event however, as the workshops are being held in a public library we are confident that there will be plenty of spaces you can go to if you feel overwhelmed.

Social Story

We are thrilled to offer a social story for this event which can be downloaded using the button below. Social Stories are documents that use story telling techniques along with simple language and pictures to describe new experiences and environments to neurodivergent individuals. You can learn more about social stories and see some examples by attending any of our Understanding Autism Workshops.

Wheelchair Access

We are thrilled to let you know that the venue is wheelchair accessible and the space we will be using can be accessed via a lift. If you are a wheelchair user please let us know when you register so we can ensure we can accommodate you and remove any potential obstacles.

Accessible Parking

There are two accessible parking spaces located in the library car park on Doveton Street North and another 3 located on Market Street.

Accessible Bathroom

There are accessible all gender bathrooms located on each floor of the building, we will let you know where the closest one is located on the day.

Changing Places

There is a changing place located on the ground floor of the Library opposite the accessible bathroom. Please note you do need an MLAK key to access the changing place.

Questions?

If you have any questions regarding this event’s accessibility, feel free to contact us by :

• Webchat: click the chat icon located in the bottom right corner of the screen

• Email: contactus@brycepaceautismadvocate.com

• Phone: 0447 619 496