I was fortunate to win a trip to Vienna in February 2024. It was to attend the Zero Project Conference1 at the United Nations. It’s a global conference for people with disabilities to share ideas and innovative solutions to barriers. As a woman with a physical disability and a power wheelchair user, I had won because of a video about my pointer stick that I use to help me do everyday tasks. The judges thought I was an innovator for inventing a simple solution which had a profound impact on my independence.
The conference organisers wanted me to fly in the day before, stay the four nights, and fly home the day after the conference. “Do you know how far Austria is from Australia?” I asked. They may sound similar, but the two countries are on opposite sides of the world from each other, plus there’s a seven-hour time difference. Fortunately there was an Australian (who now lives in France) on this Zoom call, who agreed it wasn’t fair to make me fly 17 hours each way for only four nights. They agreed I could stay longer, as long as I flew in and out of Vienna and paid for the extra nights myself.
So how many nights did I want to stay? I checked my annual leave balance at work and found out that I could go for three weeks.
My flights and accommodation only got confirmed four weeks before I left. So it didn’t leave much time to plan my trip. One thing I really wanted to do was ski in the Austrian Alps. If I’m going to go in winter, I may as well go skiing. Yes people in wheelchairs can ski! I’ve skied twice before: once in Japan and once at Mt Buller in Victoria. It is so much fun that I recommend it to everyone. Even though I hate the cold, it’s worth it.
I made some inquiries before leaving, and booked a tentative date with a disabled ski school in a town called Schladming, three-hours by car from Vienna.
When I arrived in Vienna, I asked the hotel staff to research some accessible transport options for me to get there. They came back to us a few days later: a taxi costing €930 (over $1,500)! Plus if I was to stay overnight, I had to pay for the driver’s accommodation, dinner and breakfast! I said no thanks.
My ski booking was moved to the Sunday after the Zero Project Conference, which gave us more time to plan. First thing was transport. Amy, my support worker, didn’t mind if she had to drive us there. But it meant going up the day before and returning the day after. It was too far for a day trip. If someone else was driving we could have done it in one very long day.
We made numerous phone calls and got lucky with Hertz in Vienna. They had one wheelchair accessible vehicle for hire, was available for the weekend, would allow Amy to drive it (but needed to pay extra as she’s under 25) and would cost about €250. A bargain compared to the taxi.
With transport sorted, we needed accommodation for two nights. We called the Schladming Tourist Centre and asked them to find something for us. After two days they hadn’t found anything, and the weekend was fast approaching. We spent that morning on the phone, calling every place close to the ski school. On our fifth or sixth attempt, we got lucky: a wheelchair access room with two separate beds, available for the two nights and not too far from the ski school. We couldn’t believe we got transport and accommodation sorted at last.
But a few hours later Hertz emailed me to say our hire car had technical problems and is off the road! And it wouldn’t be fixed before we needed it. Yep. Just when we thought we could relax and look forward to the trip to the mountains.
So it was back to square one. We called a lot of disability transport providers but none could help. In desperation, I tracked down the lady who booked my airport transfers. Her name was Eva and she was at the conference. Maybe she could help?
Unfortunately we’d already tried the company she used and they weren’t available. “But I might know someone who has a van,” Eva said. We left it with her and asked everyone we met at the conference as well.
That night we emailed the hotel to say we had transport issues and couldn’t confirm the booking just yet, but would be in touch soon. On the Friday we still hadn’t heard back from Eva, so we found her at the closing ceremony of the conference. She made a phone call while we waited in front of her.
Her friend of a friend had a wheelchair van we could borrow – for free! We couldn’t believe our luck. The only catch was that we had to go to a country train station to pick it up, and have it back by 3pm on Monday. Easy, or so we thought.
With transport sorted, we emailed the hotel straight away to confirm our booking. At 10pm, and as we got into bed, I received a reply from the hotel. It read: “You no longer have a booking with us as you did not confirm in time.”
Oh dear. (Not exactly what I said at the time but too explicit to write). It was as if the universe was against us going skiing. We tried calling the hotel but there was no answer, so emailed them asking if they had another suitable room available. I was only going for two nights and wasn’t taking my shower chair anyway. As long as the room was accessible and had two beds, I didn’t really care what the bathroom was like. Not at this late stage when we were leaving the next morning!
We had an email from them in the morning with a choice of two rooms. I chose one, clicked on the link that said “confirm” and a webpage opened that said “thank you for confirming your booking”. All sorted, I hoped.
We finished packing, pushed the hoist down to the station, found the train we needed and bought our tickets. Only we missed our connecting train as it didn’t have wheelchair access (plus we didn’t know where we needed to go or where the lifts were). Some of these stations were huge with changing platforms so you have to check the display boards (like at the airport).
We found staff that could help us get on the next train, but we were late picking up the van by about an hour and a half. Especially since we couldn’t even find our way out of that station!
We met up with Mr Harrer, who didn’t speak much English. Amy and I had started learning German on Duolingo only 10 weeks prior, so weren’t very capable of communicating with him. But he’d brought a friend with him and she could be our interpreter.
After removing some of the back seats so I could fit, and folding up my hoist, Amy was handed the keys. Our dream of being in the mountains was about to come true.
It was Amy’s first time driving on the wrong side of the road, in a left-hand-drive vehicle (we didn’t tell Mr Harrer that). It was the little things, like having to use your right hand to change gears, and the indicator switch on the opposite side that confused her the most. I kept guiding her to stay within the lane and which lane to go in when turning. But two hours later we arrived at the hotel surrounded by snow. We had no idea that they’d had snow the night before – the first after about four weeks with none! It was amazing timing for us.
We entered the warm reception and the lady asked “Can I help you?”
I told her my name and she looked confused. “You didn’t confirm your booking,” she said.
I showed her the confirmation I got on the website on my phone. Turned out there was a glitch in her system and she didn’t receive a notification.
“Well, do you still have a room available?” I asked.
“Yes,” she replied, much to our relief.
She had housekeeping prepare our room while Amy got things out of the van. In my rush and desperation to book accommodation, I never asked about clearance under the bed for my hoist. I could see in the photos that one bed didn’t, but the other was a sofa bed. All sofa beds have clearance, right? I’d thought. When we got up to the room and checked, I was wrong. Neither bed had space underneath for the hoist legs to go under. How would I get into bed and out again safely?
We decided to go down for dinner and leave that problem for later. But putting it off wasn’t going to solve the problem. After dinner, Amy sat on both beds and decided she wanted the sofa bed as the other was too soft. Even though the sofa bed was the easiest to get me onto with the hoist. The other bed was built into the wall so couldn’t be moved or raised. I did consider sleeping in my wheelchair, but this was an expensive hotel so wanted to sleep in their bed.
We moved some furniture around to make space, but still couldn’t get close enough. One piece of furniture was a large wooden coffee table, and just happened to be the same height as the top of the mattress.
“What if we hoisted me onto the table, then slid me onto the bed?” I asked Amy. She sat on the table to make sure it was sturdy. It might actually work, we thought. We put the hoist side-on to the bed, I drove underneath and she hoisted me up. Then Amy moved my chair back and put the table underneath, and covered it with the duvet and my poncho which was slippery on the outside. She lowered me onto the table, disconnected me from the hoist, then ran around the other side of the bed and pulled me with the duvet. It worked! We were excited but exhausted, and to think we’d have to do it again for both mornings and nights. But we had a way which worked, and our reward was to ski the next day.
There was no way I was going to be late for my ski booking at 11am, so we set the alarm early. We had no idea how much longer it would take to get me off the bed again. When Amy got up, she opened the blinds. The view took our breath away. It was 7am, and the sun had just touched the top of the mountain range we could see, highlighting the snow. There was still snow on our balcony balustrade too. It was like waking up in a fairy tale book; we thought we were dreaming. It’s the kind of scene you’d only see in a calendar or on a postcard. And here it was, right outside our hotel window, on a trip that almost didn’t happen. It made us forget all about our problems and go out and enjoy the day. We had made it.
Melanie in her sit-ski with her guide Sevie
1See https://www.youtube.com/live/8e1bqt419RY?si=FKVOIIMggk-2DHIL for the live stream of my presentation at the conference in Vienna.
Shaun Bickley is an autistic person in Brisbane who is working hard to change this discriminatory injustice by organising an open letter against subminimum wage along with other disabled people across Australia.
Physical Disability Australia has proudly joined over 34 national organisations, 166 state/local organisations & businesses and over 2100 people who’ve signed on in support of ending this archaic practice.
We encourage you to join the charge for fair change by signing your support at:
https://forms.gle/FGJX8GUUaH4QzePd6
Together let’s bring about change that is way overdue.
Tamsin Colley PLY shares her thoughts on finding connection within the disability community and how Physical Disability Australia Ltd (PDA) has played a role in this in her time as a PDA Member.
After you’ve watched her video, head across and sign up for FREE PDA MEMBERSHIP at pda.org.au/membership/.
We look forward to you joining us, Tamsin and the rest of the PDA community.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9v_FXfvn6d/?igsh=MTJheWxuYzBoOXgyMg==
On Wed 21st Aug 2024 at 6:30pm AEST, Physical Disability Australia invites you to attend a free online information session around the new Housing Roadmap that will be launched later this month.
Presented by the HousingHub, this online event will explore the Housing Roadmap, explain how to use it, and give an insight into supports available to those looking to begin their housing journey.
As Australia’s largest disability housing platform, Housing Hub is the trusted, go-to website for those looking to access the accessible housing market.
Over the past year, Housing Hub has worked closely with people with disability and their supporters to redesign their information resources around the disability housing market.
Their upcoming information will be run via Zoom with accessibility options available (please share your access needs when you register).
To register for this free event, go to:
If you have any questions, please email the housing options team at housingoptions@housinghub.org.au or call their Advice Line on 1300 61 64 63
We look forward to you joining us for this information session.
Technological advances, particularly in terms of online access, have brought immeasurable benefits – allowing connections with family, friends, work and study, and opening access to services and information regardless of physical location.
Online spaces should be safe for everyone, however people are all too frequently being targeted, harassed, made to feel vulnerable and forced to leave or reduce their online engagement through the acts of others.
A report carried out by the eSafety Commissioner revealed that people with disability experience higher levels of online hate speech than Australia’s national average – 19% to 14% respectively.
A 2020 survey also highlighted the perceived risk for women with disabilities subjected to technology-facilitated abuse increased from 20.57% in 2015 to 44.3% in 2020.
In response to this, the Australian Government has launched a campaign to increase awareness of Online Safety Laws to support people who have experienced severe online abuse.
Everyone has the right to be safe online.
Online abuse in any form can be stressful for the individual and their family or community.
If you or someone you know experiences severe online abuse, please visit eSafety.gov.au to make a report and reach out for support through services such as:
If someone is in danger or requires immediate support, please call emergency services on 000.
More information on the Online Safety Act 2021, online safety risks and how to access support can also be found by visiting eSafety.gov.au.
“Join Minister for the NDIS, the Hon. Bill Shorten online where he will answer your questions on NDIS reforms.
The changes will improve the participant experience of the NDIS, and bring the Scheme back to its original intent.”
PERTH NDIS COMMUNITY CATCH UP:
Tuesday 21st May at 10:45am AWST
Pamela Hilton Hotel
14 Mill Street
Perth
Minister Shorten will be answering questions in the room.
Join in-person to ask your questions or watch the event online.
To book your ticket & find out more about event accessibility, go to:
https://events.humanitix.com/ndis-community-catch-up-perth
BRISBANE NDIS COMMUNITY CATCH UP:
Friday May 24th at 11:45am AEST
Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre
Corner Merivale and Glenelg Streets
Brisbane
Minister Shorten will be answering questions in the room.
Join in-person to ask your questions or watch the event online.
To book your ticket & find out more about event accessibility, go to:
https://events.humanitix.com/ndis-community-catch-up-brisbane
ONLINE NDIS COMMUNITY CATCH UP:
Wednesday 5th June
WA: 2:00pm
SA/NT: 3:30pm
NSW, VIC, TAS, QLD, ACT: 4:00pm
To book your ticket, go to:
https://events.humanitix.com/ndis-reform-community-catch-up-online
Australia commemorates International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) on Saturday, December 3rd. IDPwD, established by the United Nations in 1992 and observed in Australia since 1996, serves several key objectives: fostering a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by People with Disabilities (PwD), rallying support for upholding the rights, dignity, and overall welfare of PwD, and advocating for the full integration and inclusion of PwD in all facets of society. 2018 Australian Bureau of Statistics data found that 17.7% of the Australian population, 4.4 million Australians, were PwD.
IDPwD events in Australia were organised by various government bodies, workplaces, schools, and universities nationwide. These events all shared a common theme: educating the public by giving PwD a platform to share their personal stories. Through these narratives, these events aim to break down preconceived notions of difference and instead emphasise the commonalities and shared experiences that connect us all. This approach humanises PwD in the eyes of those without disabilities, fostering greater understanding and empathy for the daily challenges faced by people with disabilities. In essence, these events help the non-disabled population “step into the shoes” of PwD, gaining a deeper comprehension of their lives and experiences.
What is disability? In Australian society, we acknowledge that disabilities can be both visible and invisible forms, encompassing physical, intellectual, psychiatric, sensory, and neurological disabilities. In this context, the concept of disability oversimplifies a complex reality, based on how an individual’s physical or mental condition deviates from what is considered ‘the norm’. This perspective is often referred to as the Medical Model of Disability and is relevant when seeking treatment or therapy from healthcare professionals. However, it falls short in recognising that true barriers to the full and equal participation of PwD in society stem from environmental and attitudinal factors within our community and society.
The Social Model of Disability (SMD), originating in the UK in the 1970s, marked a groundbreaking paradigm shift in disability theory. At the core of the SMD lies the distinction between an individual’s inherent conditions or attributes and the broader societal context. According to the SMD, “impairment” pertains to the medical or biological deviations from what is considered the norm. For example, a person who uses a wheelchair may have a physical impairment resulting from a spinal injury. On the other hand, “disability” is defined as the interplay between an individual’s impairments and the obstacles presented by the physical environment and the prevailing attitudes in the social environment. Disability emerges when, for instance, a person using a wheelchair faces architectural barriers in the physical environment. The SMD played a pivotal role in helping PwD recognise that many challenges they encounter are not rooted in their disabilities but are the consequences of disabling elements within society.
The Biopsychosocial Model of Disability (BMD), which emerged in the late 1970s, was designed to offer a comprehensive understanding of how medical conditions and the disabling effects on individuals are not solely a result of biological factors, but rather a complex interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors. Amid various disability models, the BMD stands out as a relatively straightforward and all-encompassing framework. It takes into account the experiences of PwD, the societal obstacles they confront (both environmental and attitudinal), and the psychological impact of individuals’ internal relationship with disability, along with the challenges of overcoming social barriers. In essence, the “Bio” component of the BMD deals with the physiological aspects, such as the effects of impairment, like pain; the “Psycho” aspect addresses psychological aspects, including internalised oppression; and the “Social” aspect encompasses factors within the social environment, including elements like architectural barriers, such as stairs.
Internalised oppression represents a psychological and emotional dimension of disablism, arising from the way PwD perceive themselves. Given that society often ingrains a negative perception of disability, PwD may internalise these negative views, leading them to self-oppress when they perceive their disabilities as a negative aspect of who they are. This phenomenon is more likely to affect those who acquire disabilities later in life because they are confronted with pre-existing negative portrayals, preconceived notions, and stereotypes about disability that they held prior to acquiring disability.
When contemplating the inclusion of PwD, it’s crucial to assess our current progress toward creating a more equitable world. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) was ratified in 2008, marking a significant milestone as disability considerations were notably absent from previous international human rights agreements. In comparison, the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women was established in 1979, and more than four decades later, gender equity remains an ongoing challenge. Now, 14 years since the UNCRPD’s implementation, numerous advancements are still pending, waiting to be put into practice to enhance the lives, circumstances, and the overall inclusion of PwD, while also enriching the knowledge base within disability studies.
Most community members will have limited control or influence over the physical environment in their workplaces or places of study. We are not all architects or builders who can fix inaccessible steps. However, it’s important not to be disheartened by this limitation. As mentioned earlier, it’s the social dynamics that People with Disabilities (PwD) encounter, such as prevailing attitudes and misconceptions, that shape the extent of their exclusion or inclusion in society. Becoming more disability-aware and fostering understanding doesn’t require a comprehensive knowledge of every medical condition or disability type. Instead, it’s about cultivating an awareness of the physical and social environment, which enables you to identify and acknowledge the barriers that exist.
My top tips that individuals can implement for enhancing the inclusion of PwD: 1) Acknowledge that PwD are first and foremost individuals with emotions, aspirations, and life experiences. They are not objects of pity or charity, but rather individuals navigating real-life challenges and triumphs on a daily basis. 2) Recognise that PwD are the foremost authorities on their own lives. If you have questions, approach them with respect and inquire politely. Every person’s experience of disability is unique, and it’s essential not to make assumptions or speak on behalf of others. 3) Appreciate the value of the lived experiences of PwD. The diverse perspectives, values, and life experiences they bring to the table are constructive contributions to teams and the decision-making process.
IDPwD serves as a poignant reminder that the entire society reaps the rewards of embracing diversity. Consider the research and development (R&D) investments made in assistive technology, particularly predictive typing software for People with Disabilities, back in the early 1990s. These initial efforts paved the way for predictive text features on the brick phones of the 1990s through the 2010s. Subsequently, this technology evolved into voice-typing and voice-activated digital platforms, such as Siri and Alexa, which have now become ubiquitous. Today’s R&D efforts, centered around addressing challenges faced by People with Disabilities, will similarly contribute to the development of future consumer products, accessible to the wider public in around three decades. This underscores that progress in making the world more inclusive doesn’t solely benefit PwD; it’s a boon for society at large.
Author:
Tim Harte GAICD is the Victorian State Director for Physical Disability Australia, Chair of the Surf Coast Shire Council disability advisory committee, and a Chemistry Honours student at Deakin Universities Institute for Frontier Materials.
The PDA Team loves to share information, disability stories and personal experiences on our website’s blog page and to ignite discussions and encourage the sharing of ideas and opinions on our socials.
Seeing these interactions and reading comments from everyone also helps us to gauge what’s important and where we need to focus our attention as an organisation representing Australia’s disability community.
Being recognised for doing this is an added bonus and has us walking, wheeling and hopping around with the biggest smiles on our faces.
So we’d like to thank Home Caring and Vital Home Health Services for naming Physical Disability Australia in their recent “8 disability blogs you must read” and “8 Disability Blogs To Lift Your Spirits” lists.
We really appreciate this honour and recognition and look forward to continuing to bring you stories of interest and importance.
❤️ Team PDA
Ticketek’s website talks the talk about accessibility and fairness, but ticket sales for Taylor Swift’s upcoming Australian concerts highlights the lack of consideration given to disabled people requiring accessible seating.
In attempts to appear just and considerate in providing fair access to all fans, Ticketek promoted “helpful tips to give a smooth checkout” to Tay Tay Eras Tour tickets on their sales website.
All very above board and thoughtful for the hundreds of thousands who hit the Taylor Swift ticket sales website during both the pre-sale and general public sale dates…at least for able bodied fans.
However, for Swifties requiring accessible seating, their race for oversubscribed concert tickets was anything but easy and reeked of discrimination and unfairness.
Unable to choose seating locations and purchase tickets online, people with disability were instructed to complete the online accessible booking form made available when ticket sales opened. They would then apparently be contacted via a “dedicated support line” member to complete their purchase.
Sounds fair on paper right? Well, not really going by the experiences of the many Tay Tay fans requiring accessible seating.
Blocked out of VIP ticket options as the result of rapid, high demand sales and allocated disability VIP package seating, disabled Swifties were once again locked out of Ticketek’s fairness policy.
With Companion Cards also not being honoured for these packages, the very few fortunate enough to get within arm’s reach of these dream tickets once again had road blocks thrown in front of them. Ticketek’s apparent stance on Companion Cards tending to be invalid in VIP sections, meant that support workers could not be accommodated – unless, of course, they also purchased the VIP package. This challenges Ticketek’s website which outlines that government issued Companion Card holders may be eligible for a complimentary ticket allowing companions required to assist event attendance – on purchase of a full priced Ticket.
So for those who managed to get hold of accessible seating, time will show if they meet the needs of an audience requiring well thought out consideration. With concert goers typically ending up on their feet shows, will the views of people in these accessible spaces be guaranteed a clear line of sight to the stage and their beloved Tay Tay or to the Auslan interpreters?
Sadly the issue of accessible seating purchase and suitability is not something confined to Taylor Swift’s Australian tour. However, the ticket purchase experiences gleaned from her Australian fans living with disability, show that current protocols are inequitable and discussions between ticketing agents, venues and PWD must be brought to the table.
Whilst Ticketek, as Taylor Swift’s Australian ticketing agent, has been singled out in this instance, other agencies have also been tainted in similar ways by user experience. Current booking processes are inequitable and ticketing agents, venues and PWD must be brought to the table to discuss how accessibility can be fairly achieved.
It’s time for industry wide review and for audiences to be given fair and equitable access to events – regardless of ability.
1800 732 674
