people
we are, like, a five-time Paralympian
climbing Mount Everest with no
oxygen tank and no limbs. We don’t
seem to be comfortable yet with the
image of most people with disability
being somewhere in the middle.
“I was in a supermarket once with
another wheelchair user and this guy
came up to us and asked why weren’t
we on the Paralympics, which were on
at the time. I didn’t say much because
I was taken aback, but I was thinking,
‘when was the last time you threw a
shot put?’, ‘why is this on me?’, ‘I’m
just trying to buy some biscuits.”
Kelly Vincent has a new role in the SA Education Department.
Since leaving Parliament, Kelly
has done freelance public speaking
and advocacy work, as well as
I think the best outcomes arise when “I think we need to beware of we put our mindset somewhere in the segregation disguised as inclusion,” Board member for theatre company
middle.” she said. Slingsby and doing community
Kelly is also proud of putting
engagement work for No Strings
Universal Design into SA planning law things like sheltered workshops to make public spaces accessible to with workers with disability being everyone, but said there is still a way paid wages that would be illegal for started work as Senior Neurodiversity
to go with implementation. anyone else because they’re so low. Adviser at the Department for
You can make arguments like ‘but Education.
“I also think we still have an issue
Attached.
She is incredibly excited to have
as a society in that we generally see they get to keep their healthcare providing for accessibility as special card’, but this is 21st century policy around supporting students
treatment and pandering, rather Australia, shouldn't we be aiming for with autism and conditions like
than an investment in the long-term people to earn enough to not need foetal alcohol spectrum disorder
welfare of us all,” she said. such cards?” … something I’m so excited and
“We have an ageing population
Looking at inclusion and the
“My role is in helping develop
incredibly passionate about,” she said.
whose bodies will change, whether or language used around disability not we like to talk about it. We are far more broadly, Kelly said “pitying occasional foster carer for the most
better investing in preparing for that terminology” and the assumption sassy, funny, kind kid in the world.
future than wasting time and money that people with disability’s main putting in haphazard stop gaps down value in life is to inspire others is a great opportunity to find more
the track.” obviously problematic. balance in my life and be a better
Kelly believes while society has
“Away from work, I’m an
“These new avenues also present
“I think society tends to have support to myself as well as others.
come a long way forward when it one of two ideas about people with “I’m not great at that, but the
comes to inclusion, she doesn’t disability,” she said.
believe “we’ve come as far as we’d
like to think”.
26
“When I say this, I’m talking about
being involved in the arts, as a
people
“We are either unemployed, very
ill, unable to leave home, isolated, or
opportunity to get better is exciting
for me.”
www.dignityparty.org.au
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