ANNA Smith said the launch of the Dylan Awards last Friday was a very moving event with inspiring and motivational speeches by Dylan’s mother Sara Scrivener, Andrew Harris (Work Connections), John Mayo (Spinal Injuries Association) and Federal Member for Dawson James Bidgood.

The Dylan Awards were created by Community Solutions Project Officer/Community Coordinator Anna Smith who was inspired to create an award to recognise businesses that are ‘access friendly’ by her nephew Dylan Smith, who was confined to a wheelchair with cerebral palsy, before passing away five years ago.

Dylan’s mother Sara Scrivener delivered an emotional speech at the launch about some of the encounters she had with her son and what the Dylan Awards mean to her family.

“Dylan sadly passed away five years ago suddenly of a heart attack, at age 16, so this project is very special to our family,” she said. “To have his face on the sticker and have it displayed in hundreds of windows and doors for a very special and important reason makes us all very proud and I’m sure Dylan would be especially pleased to have his favourite photo of himself all over the place.” The Dylan Award project identifies and addresses a range of access issues encountered daily by people not only with a disability but carers, parents with young children and aged people with mobility problems

Businesses that are deemed as ‘access friendly’ are awarded a ‘Dylan Award’ - an access friendly sticker to display in the place of business. To date there has been 19 businesses in the Whitsunday admitted as ‘Access for all friendly.’

The Dylan Award project is funded by the Queensland Governments ‘Gambling Community Benefit Fund’ and Community Solutions.