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Family, Community, Country

 I have been thinking a lot lately about how to make the best version of the world And the best version of yourself.  I think it comes down to getting back to the basics of family, community, country.  It is time to remove any us and them mentality that exists.  Having a tight knit family strengthens the community and a strong community  Creates a better country.. I think we need to get back to creating in person social networks Instead of relying on social media.  Maybe we should even stop calling it social media and call it virtual media. That way the term social gets back to its original meaning related to real people. In 2024 domestic violence related deaths in Australia have doubled. Violence against people you love should never happen. I have an old fashioned mentality when it comes to protecting people you love It is time for men to rediscover the Jane Austen style gentility And maybe even parts of the code of chivalry. The code of chivalry says a man should honour and protect G
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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