[CHAT] Different abilities not disability!

Personally, I have always felt as though disability would never be something that could impact me or anyone in my family. It wasn’t until a close family member of mine was diagnosed with a progressive condition that began to affect his physical mobility that I began to question just how rare disabilities really are.

All sorts of other questions began to race through my head too - what will life be life like for him? Will he enjoy a healthy quality of life? At the end of the day, I just wanted my uncle to be happy and enjoy his life as anyone else could.

The truth is, we've all got differing abilities and what's called 'disability' is simply a part of human diversity. One in five people in Australia, almost 4 million people, have a disability of one kind - some of which people are born with, while others are developed later in life. Some can affect mobility, but often they are not visible - it could be the ability to learn things, it could be thinking processes or the ability to hear or see.

We know that discrimination has a big impact (negatively) on mental health - and there is a lot of discrimination that people with disabilities face and it's so engrained in our culture....

Due to discrimination and society generally making life hard unless you fit a certain mould - people with disabilities face low self-esteem and confidence, and can find it difficult to maintain employment and a healthy social life.

The impacts of disability can also extend to a person’s family and friends. On the positive side, it can bring a family closer together, but on the negative side, it can place heavy emotional demands on a family and affect their physical and mental health. Being a person who has battled anxiety for a long time, I find that I can become particularly overwhelmed just by thinking about how my uncle has been impacted by his disability.

One of the most crucial things to remember is that whether it be your own, or someone else’s, a person’s disability does not define them and should not stop them from achieving their goals in life.

How can we all help to create communities that are inclusive and help to address th challenges people with disabilities face in order for everyone to achieve any goals and aspirations they may possess?

Join us on the forums this Monday (1st December) at 8:00pm AEDT to discuss your thoughts and experiences with disabilities. Hope to see you there!