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IDPWD 2022 - Look Beyond

 Another International Day of People with a Disability is here; a time to celebrate the achievements and contributions of all people with disabilities. 

This year there are many great things to highlight that people with disabilities have achieved. Without being patronising or exaggerating some of my biggest heroes and inspirations have continued to master the world. 

We have to start with the always legendary Dylan Alcott's tenure as Australian of the Year. This year Dylan, while being a decade younger than me, has shown me the leader that I want to be. With his ongoing advocacy for people with disability at high level summits such as Labor's Jobs and Skills Summit and his continual push to make NDIS fairer combined with his amazing media presence I believe Dylan Alcott has been the best Australian of the Year in my lifetime. 

The ongoing controversy about the cost of the NDIS has led to many people with disabilities feeling stressed and like we are a burden. I use this International Day of People with Disabilities to call upon all politicians and media to change their language around the cost of the scheme. People with disabilities are not just a burden, we contribute to society as well. 

The best decision made about the NDIS this year was to make another hero of mine Kurt Fearnley the chairperson of the organisation because decisions regarding the future of people with disabilities should not be made without strong representation in the room. 

This year's theme of IDPWD is Look Beyond which to some disability advocates seems to be an inappropriate theme. Both Dr George Taleporos and Senator Jordon Steele-John believe that the theme discounts the value of a person's disability to their identity. 

'It would not be okay to run a campaign saying #lookbeyond my skin colour or sexuality so why is this okay for disability? It's not!' said Dr George Taleporos. 

While I respect everybody with a disability's right to approach their disability in whatever way makes them the happiest, I prefer to be seen as an actor, writer, and husband first. I have spent my life trying to get people to see me as more than a chair so I am happy for people to look beyond my disability. This in no way means that I am ashamed or try to hide my cerebral palsy. 

It is important for all members of the community, with disability or without, to remember no two people with a disability are the same and the choices we make about our disability are our own and no choice is more correct than the other. I respect those of us with a disability who want to add their disability into their identity. I'd rather people see Chris first and the disability second. 

I was so happy this year to see my fellow acting colleague Chloé Hayden as an International Day of People with Disability Ambassador. Her acting talent combined with her autism advocacy is amazing and while we have only done one project together so far I hope to act with her again soon. 

On a personal note this International Day of People with Disability I have a lot to be thankful for. I was able to participate in two campaigns this year on behalf of Labor while continuing my teaching and disability advocacy work. Emceeing some very important seminars for the Victorian Disability Workers Commission and having the honour of participating in a creative arts panel for the Art of the Mind Festival. 

Poetically I have been able to be prolific, writing over fifty new poems in 2022. My acting game also continues to be strong; I was able to shoot a project with talented director Dean Bryant and some famous names in the cast. I particularly loved this project because my character was just doing his job and just happened to have a disability. Please stay tuned for more details about this project coming in 2023. 

If you have made it to the end of this blog you would clearly see that there are many people with disabilities contributing to our world and today is a good reminder to look beyond first impressions. 



Look Beyond


I wheel into a room and some people look away because they don't know how to respond;

Just look me in the eye and look beyond.

I am a man, a creative winner.

A look from me is not a curse; having a disability does not make me a sinner.


I am not a heroic character from the pages of a book 

Or a victim if you can get beyond the first look.

My wheelchair helps me see the universe. 

I turn my pain into poetic verse.


Open up the conversation along with your mind.

You never know the human truth you might find if you leave the disability behind.

People might think that the disabled life leaves me wishing to abscond;

I love who I am, I am just asking you to respect my disability and still look beyond.


Chris Van Ingen - 03 December 2022

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