NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia in the first week of July each year (Sunday to Sunday), to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories and participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth.
For more information on culturally significant dates for 2026, see CheckUP’s Culturally Significant Dates Flyer.
The Coming of the Light commemorates the adoption of Christianity across the Torres Strait islands.
For more information on culturally significant dates for 2026, see CheckUP’s Culturally Significant Dates Flyer.
Mabo Day is celebrated on June 3rd each year to commemorate the life of Eddie Koiki Mabo and the 1992 Mabo decision.
For more information on culturally significant dates for 2026, see CheckUP’s Culturally Significant Dates Flyer.
National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.
For more information on culturally significant dates for 2026, see CheckUP’s Culturally Significant Dates Flyer.
Every year on 26 May, National Sorry Day remembers and acknowledges the mistreatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were forcibly removed from their families and communities, which we now know as ‘The Stolen Generations’.y
For more information on culturally significant dates for 2026, see CheckUP’s Culturally Significant Dates Flyer.
Harmony Week is the celebration that recognises our diversity and brings together Australians from all different backgrounds.
For more information on culturally significant dates for 2026, see CheckUP’s Culturally Significant Dates Flyer.
In 2026, Harmony Day is on 21 March.
For more information on culturally significant dates for 2026, see CheckUP’s Culturally Significant Dates Flyer.
National Close the Gap Day is celebrated in March each year. The Close the Gap Campaign is the result of the Australian public’s overwhelming support for improving health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
For more information on culturally significant dates for 2026, see CheckUP’s Culturally Significant Dates Flyer.
This event marks the anniversary of the motion of Apology to Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the House of Representatives chamber at Parliament House in Canberra, ACT, at 9:00am on 13 February 2008 by the former Prime Minister, the Hon. Kevin Rudd.
For more information on culturally significant dates for 2026, see CheckUP’s Culturally Significant Dates Flyer.
Disability Action Week Highlights, 2025 QPHCN Event
CheckUP brought together health professionals, community leaders, and disability advocates for our final Queensland Primary Healthcare Network (QPHCN) event of 2025, exploring the theme “Communicate. Connect. Create.”
Hosted by Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM (doctor, lawyer, researcher and disability advocate), the event featured powerful conversations about what inclusion really means. The day highlighted inspiring examples from Joshua Bamford on practical disability employment at M&H Ward (McDonald’s) Australia, DJ on his inclusion in schools program reaching 5,000+ students yearly with Social Futures, and Chithrani Palipana on vocational rehabilitation and creating pathways for people with disability.
Debbie Rooskov presented CheckUP’s Disability Friendly Business Basics micro-credential program, designed to help small businesses unlock the disability customer base while building genuine inclusion. The credentials focus on appropriate services, challenging biases, and effective communication.
The event explored real barriers and real solutions. From employment success stories to education programs that shift how young people see disability, speakers shared lived experience alongside practical strategies.
Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM reflected on the 2025 Disability Action Week theme and said, “If we are talking about communicating, I think we have to transcend geography. We have to transcend borders. We have to transcend race, ethnicity, all of these things. We have to be brave enough to talk to people with different ideas. So communication takes courage, and it takes a sense of adventure to wander into the other side and talk to people who don’t believe and to try and generate ideas through robust discussion.”
Gain more information about Access for All
Access for All is an online course that aims to improve disability awareness among health providers and increase understanding about the barriers people with disability experience when accessing healthcare.
Register Today
Become a disability friendly business
Disability Friendly Business Basics (DFBB) is a training program that teaches businesses how to be more accessible and welcoming to customers and employees with disability.
It’s an online course that covers topics such as making your physical space easier to navigate, communicating more effectively with people who have different needs, and understanding disability inclusion basics.
It’s designed for any business (trades, retail shops, cafes) that wants to serve everyone in their community better and create a more inclusive environment.
Register Today
Eager to attend future events?
CheckUP hosts networking and learning events throughout the year across Queensland.
These gatherings bring together health professionals, community leaders, and service providers to share knowledge, build connections, and explore ways to collaborate.
Whether you’re interested in workforce development, disability inclusion, or reconciliation work, there’s an event coming up that might interest you.
Follow us on Humanitix to stay in the loop about what’s next and stay tuned for QPHCN 2026 dates!
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Sponsor acknowledgement: Thank you, PSC MediProtect
We gratefully acknowledge PSC MediProtect for their support. From humble beginnings in September 1999, PSC Mediprotect has grown to become a market leader in innovative insurance solutions for health professionals, medical, and affinity groups. A commitment to these markets has seen the company develop unique products. PSC MediProtect sponsorship means we can facilitate events to raise disability awareness.
