NSW Minister for Disability Services Kristina Keneally launched the 2007 Don’t DIS my ABILITY campaign to celebrate the achievements of the 1.2 million people living in NSW with a disability.
Ms Keneally also screened the Iemma Government’s new Community Service Announcements (CSAs) at the launch.
The YouTube clips are an amazing example of the many achievements made by people with a disability and feature:
• an abseiler negotiating a steep cliff face in her wheelchair;
• a motorcyclist who is paraplegic whizzing along on his superbike; and
• a ballroom dancer who is an amputee moving gracefully with his partner are challenging perceptions about disability.
Ms Keneally expressed her delight with the 21 star-studded ambassadors who are supporting the campaign from the arts, sports and business worlds.
“I am pleased to welcome the support of the Don’t DIS my ABILITY ambassadors. Their personal success stories reinforce the message that people with a disability can do anything,” Ms Keneally said.
“More than 150 exciting events will celebrate International Day of People with a Disability across NSW in November and December.
“Highlights include an international murderball (wheelchair rugby) tournament which is the Oceanic qualifier for the Beijing Paralympics, an accessible Canadian film festival and theatrical workshops teaching children about disability and communication skills.
“Ambassadors are attending these events and I encourage the wider community to join the celebrations,” she said.
Ambassadors include Brad Dubberley, Australian national wheelchair rugby coach; Kurt Fearnley, seven times marathon winner; and Alex Jones former All Saints actor and current director of Heads UP! a show teaching school students about disability.
Scott Kenney, National Wheelchair Dancesport Champion who stars in a CSA clip said: “This campaign is personally significant to me. It’s a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate on a world stage the rich abilities that people with a disability utilise everyday.
“I am thrilled my dance performance with my partner Joanne is on YouTube and hope it conveys a strong message that society should focus on peoples’ individual skills and talents rather than any perceived disabilities,” he said.
Don’t DIS my ABILITY marks International Day of People with a Disability on 3 December. For further information about Don’t DIS my ABILITY events, activities, ambassadors and CSAs please visit www.internationaldayofpeoplewithadisability.com.au
Ambassadors’ profiles follow below.
Alex Jones, 33, teacher, performer, Deaf (Woollhara)
Former All Saints star Alex is an actor performer and an educator. In 2005, he was Festival Director for the Cultural Festival of the Deaflympic Games in Melbourne and is a principal consultant providing captioning services for FOXTEL. Alex has developed a unique production for primary and secondary schools focusing on communication skills for Deaf and hearing students. Alex will soon be a father.
Anthony Butt 42, Business Travel Operations Coordinator, Paraplegic (Gladesville)
Anthony has worked as a Business travel operations coordinator at Qantas for 13 years. He maintains the computer systems for approximately 120 staff, and maintains the Customer service phone lines. Anthony represented Australia in swimming at the 1994 FESPIC Games in Beijing China, at the 1995 Paralympic Trials in Atlanta, and again at the World Wheelchair Games in Christchurch NZ in 1999. Anthony, a keen sportsman, is going to pursue his new interest in golf over the coming months with the assistance of adaptable golf cart.
Brad Dubberley, 26, sports fan, national coach, quadriplegic (Seven Hills)
Brad has competed in over 70 major wheelchair rugby competitions and is the head coach of the Australian Wheelchair Rugby Team. He was captain of the team that won a silver medal at the Sydney 2000 Paralympics and a bronze medal at the 2002 World Championships in Sweden. Brad has been playing wheelchair rugby for eleven years and his career highlights include three world championships, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Paralympics. He is one of the youngest coaches of a national team anywhere in the world and has his sights set on guiding the Australian team to gold in Beijing in 2008.
Caroline Conlon 41, artistic director, domestically challenged, Deaf (Redfern)
Caroline is a director, actor, translator and presenter and was born Deaf. She is the Artistic Director of the Australian Theatre of the Deaf, and has performed in New Zealand, Austria, Singapore, United States and Australia. Caroline has a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Writing and has worked on many English to Auslan (sign language) translation projects.
Ebru Sumaktas 30, activist, aesthete, blind (Stanmore)
Ebru is a policy and advocacy officer with Vision Australia where she advocates for people who are blind or vision impaired their families and carers, aiming to achieve equal opportunity and access to education, employment and everyday living.
Kurt Fearnley, 26, bushie, world champion, teacher (Carcoar)
Kurt is a teacher, Paralympic and world marathon champion and current holder of nine individual marathon titles on five continents. He won gold medals in the 5000 metres and the marathon in Athens in 2004 and in 2007 Kurt has won gold in the South African, Osaka, Paris, Rome and Los Angeles marathons.
Lindy Hou OAM, Paralympic cyclist, motivational speaker, blind (Beacon Hill)
Lindy is a Paralympic and world champion tandem cyclist. Since losing her sight over ten years ago, Lindy with her guide dog, Harper, has made changes in her life - from IT consultant to massage therapist and motivational speaker and from triathlete to tandem cyclist. Lindy now travels the world to compete in races and is currently training for the Beijing 2008 Paralympics.
Lisa Edmonds 40, student, basketball player, paraplegic (Cromer)
Lisa was a member of the first-ever Australian women’s wheelchair basketball team until she retired in 2002. She currently plays in the women’s national league which she helped to initiate in 2000. Lisa represented Australia at three Paralympic Games including Sydney 2000 where she won a silver medal. Lisa is currently studying event management.
Dr Mark Bagshaw, 50, Strategist, Businessman, Quadriplegic (Pyrmont)
Mark is the managing director of the Innov8 Consulting Group, and was formally Business Development Executive for IBM. His primary focus is to demonstrate to the world business community that addressing the issues faced by people who are economically disadvantaged is right for our society and makes good business and economic sense.
Marty Mayberry 21, university student, alpine ski racer, double amputee (Ewingsdale)
Marty Mayberry is a double below knee amputee and a member of the Australian Alpine Ski Team. He recently won a world cup slalom event and is currently training towards the 2010 Games in Vancouver. He also aims to win the overall world cup slalom title this year.
Matt Laffan 37, lawyer, rugby enthusiast, paraplegic (Sydney)
Matt is a lawyer for the NSW Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, where he regularly appears in the Local, District and Supreme Court's of NSW. He is a forward thinking individual who fights for social justice, serves on the Law Society Council of NSW, follows rugby with a passion and because he was born with a rare genetic condition, has his “own set of wheels”.
Meg Smith, 58, university professor, social activist, bipolar disorder (Lilyfield)
Meg is a community psychologist and an associate professor in social sciences at the University of Western Sydney. She teaches and researches criminology and mental health policy and practice. Meg is president of the Mental Health Association of NSW, and a board member of the Black Dog Institute.
Nathan Johnston, 21, Surfer, Student, Blind (Helensburgh)
Nathan Johnston has been involved in surfing, with local surf clubs, since the age of 5. He is often found carving up the waves at Stanwell Park beach with his Dad and his mates. At the age of 7 he was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa and is now legally Blind. Nathan completed his HSC in 2004 and was the first Blind person in 5 years to complete his HSC as an integrated student in the public system. Nathan is currently working towards a communications and media certificate at TAFE via distance mode and is interested in pursuing a career in legal studies in the future.
Neville Brown, 41, father, wheelchair pilot, Multiple Sclerosis (Croydon)
Neville Brown is a senior system’s analyst for the Westpac Corporation - BT Financial Group. He was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at age 28. Since then, Neville has lived in Switzerland, where he took up skiing and learned to parasail. Neville regularly competes in the City to Surf and raises funds for ParaQuad.
Paul Nunnari, 34, policy advisor, wheelie, half man-half machine (Narellan)
Paul lists his best athletic moments as winning a silver medal in the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games and winning the biggest half marathon in the world - the Oita Half Marathon. He was hit by a car at the age of 11 and since then has considered himself half man and half machine.
Paul Wade, motivational speaker, sports coach, commentator, epileptic (Dural)
Paul is a motivational speaker, soccer coach and television presenter. He captained the Australian national soccer team, the Socceroos, between 1986 and 1996. With over 100 appearances playing for Australia Paul won two National Soccer League championships and was voted NSL player of the year in 1988. Paul retired from professional football in 1996 and now coaches children’s teams, is a public speaker, a sports commentator, and kept busy with his three gorgeous girls.
Professor Ronald McCallum AO, 59, law professor, music lover, blind (Sydney)
Professor Ronald McCallum AO is the foundation Blake Dawson Waldron Professor in Industrial Law in the Faculty of Law at the University of Sydney. He is the first person who is blind to have been appointed to a full Professorship in any field at any university in Australia or New Zealand. Ron advises governments on industrial relations law, is a music fan and loves to meditate.
Ros Sackley 56, Aboriginal, teacher, advocate and activist, optimist, blind (Ettalong Beach)
Ros works as a teacher at the Eora College in Sydney, and has been involved in the disability consumer movement for many years. She is interested in the rights of Indigenous people with a disability and has been instrumental in keeping the National Indigenous Disability Network on the agenda for more than 10 years. Ros loves traveling, making jewelry, crossword puzzles, walking, researching technology, reading, and spending time with family, friends and her guide dog, Kira.
Ruth Cromer, 35, actor, advocate, office worker, Down syndrome (Bellevue Hill)
Ruth works at the Head Office of St George Bank as a clerk. She has worked as an actor, starring in the television series House Gang and she also appeared in two episodes of A Country Practice. Ruth has had roles in educational videos for people with an intellectual disability. In 1998, Ruth won the Medibank Private Arts Award: Young Australian of the Year Awards in 1998 for her work as an actor and as an advocate for people with Down syndrome.
Scott Kenney 38, administration officer, dancer, amputee (Byron Bay)
Scott dances salsa, waltz, rumba, quickstep, tango, jive and modern ballet with his partner Joanna Zielinska using his wheelchair. He has performed throughout Australia and internationally and is currently the National Wheelchair Dance Sport Champion. Scott was also was a finalist in the World Wheelchair Dance Sport’s Championships in Holland. He works as an administration officer in Byron Bay and is a bilateral below the knee amputee.
Young-Joo Byun 42, lands officer, dancer and artist, Deaf (Sydney)
Young-Joo Byun is a lands officer at the NSW Government Department of Lands. She is an advocate for people with a hearing impairment and has been Chairperson of NSW Public Sector Deaf and Hearing Impaired Employees Network since 2002. Young-Joo showcased traditional Korean dancing at the Deaf Arts Festival and Lunar Festival. In recognition of her work with the deaf and hearing impaired communities, she was awarded the first Australian-Korean Women’s Day Award.