Romolo (Rom) is a worthy winner of the Pentland/Banfield award for his contributions to enhancing the rights of people with disabilities.
Rom is an honest, warm, friendly, and compassionate person who is always person-centered and passionate about ensuring people with disabilities are empowered to have control over the choices and decisions that affect their lives. Rom works quietly and conscientiously, without looking for recognition.
Rom is a strong Self-Advocate who has represented other people with lived experience of intellectual disabilities for many years.
Rom started his advocacy journey when he was an OH&S representative at his job at Outlook Environmental.
Rom later retired and attended The Bridge Day placement where his leadership skills shined, and he was elected by his peers as a client representative. Rom would advocate on behalf of other participants at The Bridge on how they could improve their service.
During this time, he also represented The Bridge at VALID’s Southern Self Advocacy Network where he furthered his interest in improving and promoting the rights of people with Intellectual disabilities.
Rom then joined VALID’s Self Advocacy Forum where he showed an interest in understanding disability and other wider community issues.
Rom showed empathy and a willingness to learn what individuals with disabilities needed and was approached by Advocacy and community groups to take part in various working groups. Rom was asked to take part in Inclusion Australia’s NDIS Review on what is reasonable and necessary, Monash Health’s My lived ID and NDIS Commission’s working group on Quality Safeguard Workforce Capability Framework.
Later Rom was employed at VALID for a short-term Inclusion Australia project called Towards Inclusive Practice. Rom’s expertise contributed to the development of resources to help government and other organisations in how best to interact and consult with people with Intellectual disabilities, like providing accessible Information.
Congratulations, Rom!