Page 8 - NLN March 19

AWARDS ARE

GREAT, BUT

EMPLOYMENT

IS GREATER

TO PEOPLE

WITH On January 17th, at an intimate morning tea of invited distinguished

guests, along with very worthy recipients of various award categories,
DISABILITIES I was named Moreton Bay Region Citizen of the year 2019.

As honoured as I was to be nominated I never expected to invited along. At the time I felt like it was another obligation.
win. I had my 15 minutes of fame long ago. I didn’t think it was It was a long way for me to travel and at the time I wasn’t very
necessary to be awarded for what I did. well. At that moment they declared it an adopted policy I was
I remember the first big media interview I did with King of overwhelmed with emotion. I realised that 5 years of work, of
Breakfast radio, Spencer Howson, on his breakfast show at battling the same obstacles day in, day out, of asking why not,
ABC Brisbane. The producer asked what to call me? I thought had finally come to pass. I’d accomplished what I had actually
Elisha was just fine but they wanted to know my title. Disability set out to do. Now I could finally rest.
Advocate seemed to be the adequate description and from With this award though comes media coverage which renews
that day onward that’s what I became known as. Confession interest of me in the community. Suddenly everyone who wants
time… I never set out to be that. I just wanted to be able go social change wants to speak to me. And so it begins. The flattery,
out with my family and get out of my car safely without falling the mission and then… the grab. We want you. You’ve got what
over. Just as accidental as my crusade to change the community it takes. We can’t do this without you. But you can. And you are
attitude around disability parking, was my campaign to get my going to have to. Because as flattered as I am that you think I’m
community to understand an inclusive community isn’t possible the right woman for the job, I’m so very tired. I need a break.
without disability access, and access is about so much more What the media won’t tell you about the Citizen of the Year
than ticking boxes and slapping a symbol on it. I didn’t set out to 2019 is that the week she was presented with the award, she
be anyone’s inspiration. I just wanted to be treated the same in was suicidal. Trying to understand what is going on with her
my community as I was before my acquired disability. Medically after re-diagnosis she felt like she’d been living a lie
It hasn’t been all morning teas, photo shoots and interviews for the past 7 years. Still reeling from the breakdown of her
though. It’s been work. Damn hard work. Research and marriage, from losing her home, her family, her life as she knew
deciphering legislation. Gathering and filtering data. Using the it, she was not the woman they have known in the past. She
government’s own information against them. Despite that, I’ve was broken.
built quite a profile for myself on this platform. It’s partly because I am broken. I am slowly putting the pieces of me back together
of this profile though that I’ve felt an obligation to take on far and I promise you I’m not going to hurt myself. I have so many
more work than I should and none of it was paid. Volunteering preventative factors right now. I have my incredible children and
is rewarding, but most of the time when people volunteer, they surrogate grandchildren. Amazingly supportive friends. A whole
do something they enjoy, or want to do. For me it was reading new life to plan out. I’m not going to sugar coat it for anyone
legislation, meetings and quite often, confrontation. It was though. I’m struggling. Last week I couldn’t afford to eat. If it
hours, sometimes days of preparation for a case at the ADCQ weren’t for the generosity of my incredible sister I would have
that someone had asked me to assist on that ended up being been living on pasta and gravy. She rescued me with a gift card
me doing all the work. It was having to explain to that person to buy groceries. My friends dragged me out of the apartment
that sometimes their expectations were unreasonable and help to socialise. My GP checks in with me frequently and reassures
them understand the definition of inclusion. I didn’t make many me her door is always open. She’s absolutely amazing and tells
friends doing what I do. But I got stuff done. I persevered. That’s me every visit how proud of me she is for fighting to survive this.
just who I am. I like to finish what I set out to achieve, and that’s I’m so grateful that she’s shared her similar personal story with
why, after 5 years of canvassing my local council, presenting me. I feel like I can survive because of others who show me that
them with evidence for need and the mutual benefits it could they have. The most important thing I know about this though
provide, they finally agreed we needed a Disability Access and is that it’s going to take time.
Inclusion Plan. A living document that showed intent. A set of For so long my purpose has been fighting for everyone else.
guidelines that helped a community understand how to be Right now the only purpose I can manage is to fight for myself.
inclusive and provide better access. I’m tired. I don’t want to be your inspiration. It’s such a huge
The day it was handed down at the council meeting I was expectation to live up to. I don’t want to disappoint you.