MEDIA RELEASE6 JULY 2015
THREE VICTORIAN DESIGNERS WIN DISABILITY DESIGN COMPETITION
The five winning designs from YoorallaTEE, a t-shirt design competition that seeks to redefine disability through design, are now on display at Fed Square’s Fracture Gallery from 2-12 July 2015.
After receiving close to 250 entries from across the Asia Pacific, five winning designs were selected by a panel of judges, including three Victorian based designers.
The competition received entries from Indonesia, USA and Australia however this is the first time Victoria has done so well.
YoorallaTEE aims to promote positive images of disability through a t-shirt design competition. Now in its fifth year, YoorallaTEE is a team effort by Yooralla, Dangerfield and the Father Bob Maguire Foundation to raise awareness of disability.
The five winning t-shirt designs are now available for purchase from Dangerfield in store, at Myer concessions and online at Proceeds from the t-shirt sales go to Yooralla and the Father Bob Maguire Foundation.
Upwey-based designer Amelia Lazarus’ entry was based on the universal emotion of happiness, as shown through a series of polaroid style images.
“Happiness may physically appear different to those with visual impairment, but the memory of this positive feeling and its impact is just as strong. Disabilities don’t make a person less human; we are all human beings who feel, love, dream, and reflect,”Ms Lazarus said.
Han Batesfrom St Kilda created a mermaid graphic to represent equality in beauty.
“Mermaids are a symbol of beauty, mystery and power. If they lived on land like the rest of us, they wouldn't be able to walk, but that doesn't deter from their beauty, their mystery or power. A disability doesn't take a person’s ability to be beautiful, we are all equal in beauty, whether we have fins or legs or neither,” Ms Bates said.
Mornington Peninsula designer Kate Heggie was inspired by what everyone can do.
“I feel like there’s just too much focus on the things that people can't do, when there’s so much that people can do. So for this design I wanted to create an image of three girls who are equal in their attitudes toward life, since attitudes are the hardest thing to change,” Ms Heggie said.
For more details on the competition, visit
Media contact:Rebecca O’Keeffe, Marketing & Communications, or 0419 315 455