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More Than A Test Drive (Assistive Technology)

 In the forty years of living with a disability I have seen the evolution of assistive technology for people with disabilities. Assistive technology has gone from scissors on an electric toothbrush base to now AI and everything in between.  I have written many times about my journey with assistive technology. I know I would not be the independent person I am without it. From voice activation on my phone and computer to the mobility made possible by my electric wheelchair.  The biggest challenge I face using assistive technology is things don't always work the first time and you only get short opportunities to test equipment.  For example when I am at the peak of my day I can spend up to 18 hours in my wheelchair but when I am testing a new wheelchair I might only get three separate half hour test drives. Which doesn't give me the real feel about what it would feel like to spend the whole day or go to any of my local areas where I might be expected to use the wheelchair.  Anothe
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Don't Just Tick the Empowerment Box

 This year marks my twentieth anniversary of public speaking and disability education. In that time the subject I get asked to speak on the most is the empowerment of people with disabilities.  The two main principles I have come up with regarding empowerment are to treat each person as an individual  and take a holistic view of a person's life because in my experience it is only by doing those two things that you can truly empower a person with a disability.  In order to make these two principles a reality you have to take a person centred approach to support delivery. It starts from the CEO at the top and the great front line soldiers that are each individual support worker.  It is important to recognise that no two people with a disability have the same life and needs.  The support worker should help create an environment where the client and support worker work together and people are given the space and opportunity for choice and control in their own life.  It is important to

Shift the Dial

 Every January I start the year with motivation to achieve what I want to achieve. I have half a dozen or so books I reread every January.  In 2024 my motivational mantra is shift the dial . Shift the dial towards success. Shift the dial for leadership. Shift the dial for artistic output. Shift the dial for spiritual growth.  All of us above the age of 40 remember having to tune the radio or tv into a station. That is why I am using the image of a dial to motivate myself this year.  I get to choose where I place the dial for any given goal. I know I can turn the dial up to 10 for my acting, keep it nice and central for my spiritual growth, and shift it as needed when I need to take the lead.  To help me calibrate my new dial, I have been using Ryan Holiday's books The Obstacle is the Way , Ego is the Enemy , and Stillness is the Key .  To overcome obstacles takes perception, action, and will; so you can understand when an obstacle is an obstacle.  In our modern world it is hard to

United in Action (International Day of People with Disability 2023)

 International Day of People with Disability is here again. It is a day to celebrate the achievements of people with disabilities while at the same time reminding the world that people with disabilities need access to equality.  This year's UN theme is United in Action to rescue and achieve the sustainable development goals for, with, and by people with disability.  Around this time every year I am blown away by the giants in the world who live with a disability and I am using today's post to highlight just a few.  First let me tell you about Natalie Wade, a passionate lawyer who works in the area of disability rights law. Natalie is also the coauthor of Disability Rights in Real Life Handbook  as well as being the inaugural orator for the Disability Leadership Oration . This will air at 5pm AEDT on ABC TV and ABC iview on the 3 December 2023.  The next person I wish to highlight today is Elly Desmarchelier, a brilliant disability advocate, writer, and national spokesperson for

A Vision for an Inclusive Australia (DRC Final Report)

 The final revised version of the Disability Royal Commission (DRC) into violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation was published on 2 November 2023.  The Royal Commission ran for four years with hundreds of people with disabilities testifying at hearings and thousands more supplying the Commission with written submissions.  The final report titled Our Vision for An Inclusive Australia  made 222 recommendations to improve laws, policies, structures, and practices to ensure a more inclusive and just society. That supports the independence of people with disabilities and their right to live a life free from violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation.  The report covers 12 volumes ranging from:  Voices of People with Disability  About the Royal Commission Nature and Extent of Violence, Abuse, and Exploitation Realising the Human Rights of People with Disability  Governing for Inclusion Inclusive Education, Employment, and Housing Enabling Autonomy and Access Criminal Justice and People wi

The Voice to Parliament, a Voice from the Heart

 Australia let’s keep this referendum vote simple. All we have to do is write yes or no to one question: “A Proposed Law: to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.   Do you approve this proposed alteration?”  The Voice proposal does not give Indigenous people a separate power over the country only the power to work with the Government and Parliament on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.  It also gives Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people recognition and a place of honour in our constitution as the original custodians of this land.  I have been campaigning for Yes and voting yes for three reasons.  First I am voting yes out of respect for my family and friends who come from an indigenous background.  Second I am voting yes because as a person who lives with a disability, I don’t believe it is fair that people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgr

Sex Ally to Health

As people transition through the milestones of life, sexuality shifts and flows with them and it is important to allied health professionals and other support workers to include sexuality in their discussions with their clients as part of the kaleidoscope of life.  My sexual journey, or beginning of my sexuality, reached its first milestone when I was thirteen. The only problem was that the sex education I received at the time didn’t take into account my disability and how that might impact my sexuality.  What I needed at the time was not so much practical support to engage in sexual activity but verbal and emotional support where I could safely talk about my experiences and what the support could look like in the future.  As I got older my desire to safely express my sexuality grew but unfortunately the support and knowledge around sexuality did not grow with me. For example, I engaged both a psychologist and occupational therapist to help me come up with strategies to engage in intim