interview
Right : Jordon Steele-John in Parliament ( image courtesy Penny Bradfield , Auspic ), and opposite page , the Senator in Canberra ( image courtesy David Foote , Auspic ).
Neglect . This has been rabidly and quite disgracefully ignored by the government and I hope to make it very hard for them to continue to do so .
“ Violence , abuse and neglect is one of the dark and hidden situations of both history and present in our country . We have to unpack it , we have to address it , we have to confront it .”
Senator Steele-John said away from legislative priorities , there ’ s a huge cultural shift that needs to occur in Australia .
“ We must move away from the medical model of disability , which says you have a disability because you have a medical impairment , to the social model of disability , which says disability is primarily created because the society in which we live fails fundamentally to adapt to everybody ’ s varying levels of ability . It is within that failure that the discrimination , hardship and many other elements of disability exist ,” he said .
“ I ’ m stunned by the extent to which that ’ s been received as a radical statement , when if we were living in the UK or Europe or even America , that ’ s been part of the discourse for 10 or even 20 years .”
With Western Australia announcing it would join the NDIS late last year , Senator Steele-John
“ I think someone aged 23 is just as needed in our legislative processes as someone aged 73 , and someone with disability just the same . We need diversity to get good legislative outcomes .”
was disappointed when he heard the language being used around the announcement – for example , that the NDIS was “ a great act of national love and compassion ”.
“ That type of language in relation to disability services is toxic and must be binned ,” he said .
“ We must talk about fundamental human rights . The NDIS is not something that ’ s done for people with disability because we want to pat them on the head and feel sorry for them ; it is something we as a community have demanded as a right , as a recognition of our fundamental human rights .”
As a young person with disability , Senator Steele-John urges others to know that they are equal .
“ You are equal ; you do matter ; you do deserve to be heard , both in your Parliament and in your community ,” he said .
“ Never be afraid to speak out and tell people what you want your life to be , in your own terms and in your own way .”
The young Senator said he will return to his university studies at some stage .
“ Hopefully my grades won ’ t slip too far after I ’ ve been on a gap decade ,” he said .
“ I literally am the biggest political nerd you ’ ll ever meet , so I ’ m like a kid in a candy store right now .
“ I had spent six years ( as a disability advocate ) talking about youth and disability issues , so I ’ m incredibly honoured and excited to be taking that voice and lived experience into the Parliament .” www . greens . org . au linkonline . com . au interview
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