Family Leadership and works to influence others to pursue an inclusive life for their family member. Her current focus is advocacy for all children’s right to an Inclusive Education. Bianca has a background in Psychology and Human Services, is an active member of CRU’s Disability Leadership Project and the QLD Collective for Inclusive Education (QCIE). Bianca discussed the importance of building networks and having allies when in engaging in change. My son Liam is only 8 years old, so it really wasn’t that long ago that I was holding him as a newborn. At that time, I had absolutely no appreciation for the efforts made by a community of people to ensure that he would have the chance, like his siblings, to lead a good life. His current opportunities, education and belonging at his local school, and general rights as a human being are not due to the efforts of one individual, but to an alliance, who have challenged the deeply embedded inequities within our society, to make his ordinary life a reality. They are people who share a common belief and vision, moving our society forward to create change. I could not be more thankful for the ground that has been made, while at the same time, being so aware of the distance we still have to go. When Liam was a baby, my contacts, relationships and networks were not nearly as intentional as they are now. I was referred to various early intervention services, introduced to activities “special” and found myself in a variety of different circles. The messages were mixed and much of what I was seeing and hearing did not sit well. I was becoming aware of the very different life outcomes for people with disability, with Liam’s diagnosis and development seeming to be of major relevance. It was confusing and unsettling to say the least, being led to believe that my son’s opportunities in life, may be restricted by factors beyond our control. When Liam was around 18 months old, I was lucky enough to meet a parent, Lisa Bridle, who spoke about her teenage son in a way I had not heard before. She talked about his wonderfully ordinary life being full of typical experiences, and a vision for his future that was not predetermined or limited by low expectations. This conversation was the very beginning of my realisation that full and participation, access, opportunity and inclusion in all facets of life, are fundamental human rights and that people with disability are being deprived of these rights in so many areas of our society. A perspective that is so
Family Leadership and works to influence others to pursue an inclusive life for their family member. Her current focus is advocacy for all children’s right to an Inclusive Education. Bianca has a background in Psychology and Human Services, is an active member of CRU’s Disability Leadership Project and the QLD Collective for Inclusive Education (QCIE). Bianca discussed the importance of building networks and having allies when in engaging in change. My son Liam is only 8 years old, so it really wasn’t that long ago that I was holding him as a newborn. At that time, I had absolutely no appreciation for the efforts made by a community of people to ensure that he would have the chance, like his siblings, to lead a good life. His current opportunities, education and belonging at his local school, and general rights as a human being are not due to the efforts of one individual, but to an alliance, who have challenged the deeply embedded inequities within our society, to make his ordinary life a reality. They are people who share a common belief and vision, moving our society forward to create change. I could not be more thankful for the ground that has been made, while at the same time, being so aware of the distance we still have to go. When Liam was a baby, my contacts, relationships and networks were not nearly as intentional as they are now. I was referred to various early intervention services, introduced to “special” activities and found myself in a variety of different circles. The messages were mixed and much of what I was seeing and hearing did not sit well. I was becoming aware of the very different life outcomes for people with disability, with Liam’s diagnosis and development seeming to be of major relevance. It was confusing and unsettling to say the least, being led to believe that my son’s opportunities in life, may be restricted by factors beyond our control. When Liam was around 18 months old, I was lucky enough to meet a parent, Lisa Bridle, who spoke about her teenage son in a way I had not heard before. She talked about his wonderfully ordinary life being full of typical experiences, and a vision for his future that was not predetermined or limited by low expectations. This conversation was the very beginning of my realisation that full and participation, access, opportunity and inclusion in all facets of life, are fundamental human rights and that people with disability are being deprived of these rights in so many areas of our society. A perspective that is so
CRUcial-Times-54-What-one-person-can-do.docx