Let’s play a game of word association. Computer? Technology. Chocolate? Dessert. Disabled? Wheelchair.
Contrary to popular belief, to be human is to experience some form of disability within your lifetime, whether it be permanent, temporary or situational.
Disability isn’t simply a word used to describe individuals who experience a physical, intellectual, sensory or psychological limitation; it also refers to the environmental factors that further hinder a fully accessible society. The extent to which disability is experienced is frequently based on unfair conditions that affect persons with disabilities disproportionally, including stigma, discrimination, poverty, exclusion from education and employment, and barriers faced in the health system itself.
Socially, we love to separate and categorised ourselves with labels; it is almost an evolutionary trait we have built to help us understand concepts quickly. Through this separation, society has built a world that supports traditionally able people and continues to bar those with a disability.
That little stair may not seem like a big deal… maybe regulating your emotions is easy…can you read that sentence that is littered with p’s and q’s and d’s and b’s? What’s easy for one, may not be as easy for another. However, we can provide supports that aid people in overcoming these hindrances and, in turn, make our world a more inclusive and accessible place.
With over 1.3 million people living with disability in NSW, it is critical that services and facilities provided across our communities afford all people the dignity, respect and inclusivity they deserve. At McCall Gardens, we recognise the inherent value and potential of all people. We understand that ‘people with disabilities’ are ordinary people, ‘disabled’ not by their impairments, but by the barriers and limitations put forward by society.
McCall Gardens will not be complacent in the disability sector, nor refuse to grow and develop in a way that allows for greater inclusivity. McCall Gardens strives to be there for all people who require care and support. We are one string in the web of disability support, but when we develop supports and services that advocate for fairness inclusivity, accessibility, and equity, we are able to become the web that is life.
If you want to learn more about McCall Gardens Community Services and the different supports we provide, come visit us at the Nepean Disability Expo on Friday 31st March and Saturday 1st April 2023. If you are unable to attend the Expo or wish to have a more detailed conversation with us, you can visit our official website at mccallgardens.org.au, email us at admin@mccallgardens.org.au or call us on (02) 9679 1031.