Our First Disability Disco on the Gold Coast – Here’s How It Went
- Jase
- Jun 29
- 4 min read
Our First Disability Disco on the Gold Coast – Here’s How It Went
When I first decided to run our DiscoAbility disability disco on the Gold Coast, I’ll be honest — I had no idea what I was doing. But I did know this: we needed it.
Not just for people with disabilities, but for independent supports too — to give their clients more ways to connect with peers, have fun, and make friends the same way the rest of us do. Sometimes we forget that real friendships rarely grow by only being paired with the same people at the same place. I’m not knocking that model — it’s got its place — but adding genuine social spaces like this? I think that’s even better.
Pictures below you can click to see full pictures (with the heads), sorry I'm not sure where the setting to fix this is
What happened on the night?
We had people from all over — even a few groups who came all the way down from Brisbane! It was my first run, and I knew I’d make mistakes. I’m one of those weirdos who’d rather learn by doing than wait for things to be perfect. So yep, stuff-ups happened (and I’m pretty sure I’ll learn from at least half of them 😂).
I’ll be sending out a survey to everyone who came, so next time it’s even better. That’s a big part of how I run all my programs — listening to the people who matter. I want participants, supports, and families to feel like they’re shaping something that’s theirs.
The setup (and a few hiccups!)
Setup? Yeah, I didn’t give myself enough time. I didn’t even finish putting on my costume — I spent the night in my thongs (flip-flops for my non-Aussies) — but I don’t think anyone noticed. 😆
And the music… oh boy. At first, it was a whisper you couldn’t even hear from the other side of the hall. But thanks to Dee from Care to Share Gold Coast, who offered her help, her hubby brought a bigger speaker and saved the day!
Once the music kicked off, the party really started. We rocked out to 80s classics, danced the Macarena, the Chicken Dance, Time Warp, Nutbush, and even got creative with the limbo stick — making it super hard to pick a winner. We handed out prizes, sensory toys, chocolate, and even a sensory poo (yep, I leaned into that joke — “my shining pile of achievement,” maybe?).
What made it special
What I love most about the disability community — besides the fact that no one roasted me for the music fail — is the pure joy they bring. Watching everyone, supports and participants alike, just have fun and connect with their peers — that’s the magic.
It meant so much to me that the support workers didn’t just drop off and run — they jumped in, danced, limbo’d, and rocked costumes. At times you couldn’t even tell who was supporting who. I loved it!
Some well-deserved thank yous
💛 Jodi from Growing Daily — She’s all about supporting people with disabilities to grow life skills, independence, and everyday confidence.
💛 Dee from Care to Share Gold Coast — She’s a trusted support worker helping families find caring, reliable support across the Gold Coast. Sorry Morgan I dont thinjk we got a pic but we will get ya next time
💛 Morgan from Pathstart — They’re big on helping participants build their own pathway to success, with a strong focus on individual choice.
💛 And of course, Tash, Josh’s mum (aka ‘Snot Barrier’s’ mum if you’ve read my other blogs!). She’s an absolute gem and helped make the night run smoothly.
So, what’s next?
The good news? We’ll definitely be doing more DiscoAbility disability discos — with better speakers (trust me!), more time to set up, and more ideas shaped by you. We’re aiming to run these every 4 weeks to start, with the next disco likely happening in around 6 weeks while I get a few things sorted.
I’ve already had people ask about more locations. That’s a maybe for down the line, but for now, I’ll run them locally so I can juggle my other programs too.
There’s already talk of adding karaoke to the mix — the mic was a hit! Mostly with me, but hey, I wasn’t the only one who got a kick out of it. I do apologise to anyone who caught me accidentally speaking into it during normal conversations — promise I’m not a pop star yet! 😂
Get your tickets (the cheaper way!)
When the next date drops, you’ll find tickets on Humanitix, Eventbrite, and on my Events page
👉 Pro tip: grab them straight from my site if you can — the fees are less than a dollar, while the other platforms add a few bucks extra.
Final thoughts
This community inspires me every time. Big smiles, big laughter, and even bigger dance moves — that’s what DiscoAbility is about. I can’t wait to see you all at the next one.
📍 Want to come along? Keep an eye on our Events page for upcoming dates and details.
Let’s dance, let’s laugh — and let’s make memories together.
Was an amazing night so beautiful to see the smiles on everyone’s faces while they dances their little hearts out bring on the next one