If you have an obvious disability, you’ve probably got used to people’s awkwardness, as they struggle with what to say, how to act, where to look. Often pre-conceived ideas or prejudices about difference have developed without them even realising.

A Victorian initiative wants to help confront this awkwardness early on, at school. The Young Ambassadors program targets students in years 9 to 12 and is run by Scope, a non-profit disability provider in Victoria. The program combines study units with very practical opportunities for students with and without disabilities to actively work alongside each other.