From 11am to 2pm the gardens will be filled with music, local sport team demonstrations, speeches, and information from about 28 local disability support providers.

Bendigo FIDA Suns player Jedd Manton has been announced as MC for the day, with all-abilities cricket player Mitchell Lawrence and student Phoenix Dix to serve as ambassadors.

Mr Manton said there had been International Day of People with Disability events in Bendigo for more than 13 years. While the international day falls on the Saturday, he said Friday allowed all the organisations to get involved.

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"It's a day we celebrate and recognise people living with a disability," he said. "It's a great community event."

"It's important that we celebrate what [people with disabilities] do within the community. There's some fantastic people with disabilities that have achieved some great stuff.

"It's also a day were we promote inclusion in the community, within sporting clubs, schools and workplaces. It's a day where we can try educate other people too."

Mr Manton, who has an intellectual disability, said he had encountered challenges over the years with getting involved with mainstream schools and sport clubs.

He said he had found passion working with them on how to be more inclusive. Recently, he was in Queensland representing Victoria's FIDA team.

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"Sport's a massive thing in Bendigo," he said.

"We've got Special Olympics, swimming, bowling, all-abilities basketball and netball teams, cricket and a number of other sports.

"It's wonderful to see and it's great that people that live with a disability can have these opportunities to play community sport.

"Community sport brings people together, and people are always making new friends which is fantastic to see, that's what it's about."

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