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Lismore Challenge: A Story of Faith, Hope and Love in Action

Maurice Ryan tells the story of this remarkable institution and of those involved in its evolution. He describes how within "a general air of optimism amongst Australians at the dawn of the new decade of the 1950's... the life for children born with a handicap, whether physical or intellectual, was anything but pleasant. They were the butt of jokes and practical pranks in the playground... For those who did venture to school, the education system had nothing to offer them.

There was however a nascent awareness of the plight of these victims of nature's lottery of imperfections. Remarkable advances had been made in paedeatric medicine and surgery and treatment of childhood diseases... However, care and research for the intellectually disabled lagged behind, a view expressed by the District Inspector of Schools, Mr Bill Carr, in 1956 when he said: 'there was little exact knowledge on treatment of sub-normal children at present... more use might be made of manual training, music and physical education'. He suggested that the Department teacher might visit the Sub-Normal School at Strathfield to see methods employed. However he would like to see 'the Lismore school retain an individual approach'. One must record that Carr's wish was prophetic; fifty years on, the Lismore challenge has been to the forefront in education of the mentally disabled"

In 2002 Lismore Challenge was:

recognised as a 'Benchmark' service by the Department of Aging and Dasability;
presented with the Glynn Award for Outstanding Community Organisations;
winner of the Australian Business Limited National President's Prize for Education and Training of Staff.

Maurice Ryan, Lismore Challenge:
A Story of Faith, Hope and Love in Action,
Northern Rivers Press, Lismore NSW, 2004.
21cm x 29.8cm
pb. xii +99pp.
ISBN: 0 957 9622 2 3.

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