International Day of People with Disabilities 2024

(Note: transcript may be sometimes inaccurate for this complex and multi-voiced program).

Aunty Jane 0:00
Welcome to raising our voices for us so for this year. Hi everybody. My name is Auntie Jane, and I'd like to begin by paying my respects to the wondery people and to the stolen generation, people off this land where we are meeting upon today for its elders and past and presence, and even for the self aggressor, people who have passed away and who are still here today on Aboriginal land,

James 0:29
Thank you for [?], Jane, we recognise the self advocates who have worked tirelessly over the years for the right to equality and human rights for all raising our voices on the 3CR, 855 AM. We are run by people with a disability who give people with a disability a voice on the airways. Nothing about us without us. My name is James. I am part of reinforce and rainbow rights, and also on a midac committee member. Today we are joined by members of a self advocacy group.

Janet 1:19
Hi. My name is Janet, and I'm from power in culture and ethnicity, and we are a group made up for and by people with disability from non English speaking backgrounds, like multicultural communities with disability, and we care about stopping racism and disability discrimination in Australia, so that's what we do.

Jack 1:55
Hi, my name is Jack. So our group is our Rainbow Rights self advocacy group, and our group is a for people with intellectual disability in the LGBTIQ community.

Chris 1:55
I'm Chris and I'm from, have a say Bendigo. We talk about people problems, and we also have guest speakers come in to talk about NDIS and what changes are happening. And we also organise international disability that's all, Hi,

Amanda 2:33
folks. My name is Amanda, and I'm a long time committee members world trader of reinforce. I am one of three foundation members for reinforce and and reinforce has been there and done that in the past, and I believe there's a history book about reinforce. I think we were the first sub advocacy in Australia and and we've been overseas. It was 40 years ago this year, in July, since reinforce went to America, but everything back to front there, and we have monthly committee meetings, and we just started up a big issues group in the last three, four months, and we've had about banks back the NDIS and a few other subjects. And that brings back problems and papers with intellectual disability face, I wonder if it's the first time in Australia that group like that existed and was put people and we went out and did talk. I could talk. I could talk about just there's like a time limit. Thank you.

Paul 4:04
Hi, I'm Paul. I'm the dear worker for New Wave Gippsland, West Coast and South Gippsland, and also a member of New Wave rainbow pride. So our groups ran by and for its members who have either an intellectual disability or a crime brain injury, who live either in West Coast or South Gibson area. So things we do, some of the things we do, we share information about our rights, we engage in the community, so we also raise awareness and advocate for changes in the community for people with a disability.

Sarah 4:50
My name's Sarah. I'm with the deadly First Nation. Shout out, and we are the first train people and. Of Victoria, I think the whole of Australia haven't got one. We talk a lot about issues with the First Nation, people like people on the streets, people just getting out of prison and all that. So it's all about that, how we can help people with disability and everything else.

Poppy 5:20
Hi. My name is Poppy. I'm from brain injury matters. We are a self advocacy group for people with acquired brain injury. We provide peer support groups for people with acquired brain injuries. So that's people who've had stroke, car accidents, any acquired brain injury as a result of a disease. And then we also try and educate the people about in the community, about a quiet brain injury. I'm

Romeo 5:46
Romeo. I'm from positive, powerful parents. It's a self advocacy group run by and for parents with an intellectual disability. We talk about child protection, parenting stuff and self advocacy.

Beck 6:09
I'm back on the representing for all abilities self advocacy group in South West Victoria. Our self advocacy group is called All Abilities advocacy. We talk about the issues that people what we face in the community, and we fight for accessible transport and jobs, accessible jobs as well. And also talk about the in the is...

Speaker 1 6:35
going to take a break now and listen to the song. The song is the National Self Advocacy Anthem by the Outsiders.

Song 6:59
All around Australia, people keeping up the fight. Many Faces, different places, fighting for our rights, housing, jobs and transport is what weigh the best, remembering what will help us not cause us more distress. Self Advocacy, hear our voice, see our ability. We want equality. Self Advocacy, hear our voice, see our ability. We want equality. We are making our own choices. We've been silenced for too long. Stand up for what you believe in. Together, we are strong. Lift up all our voices. We can hit the heights we want you to join us. Support disability rights, self advocacy, hear our voice, see our ability. We want equality. 

Self Advocacy, hear our voice, see our ability. We want equality. We can work together. We can work together. We can write the wrongs. We can write the wrongs. We do this together. We do this together. We can all be strong. We can all be strong. Listen to our story. A story makes us proud. Make everyone her sleeping. Sing our story loud. Self Advocacy, hear our voice, see our ability, we want equality. self advocacy, hear our voice, see our ability. We want equality self advocacy, hear our voice, see our purity. We want equality. Self advocacy, hear our voice, see our purity. We want equality.

James  10:06
The song you just heard was the national self advocacy anthem by the outsiders.

Sarah 10:11
What does the International Day of People with disability mean to you?

Amanda 10:18
This means a whole lot to means that I've stuck in there and support and help a lot of people throughout the years and great big celebration, but it's still annoys me that people should take off their horse classes. Look at the things we can do. We are a person brand disability is there, but I'm sorry, some people look at the Disability first, and that's that's why they wear glasses. They should look at the things we can do and the stuff we cannot do. Put the skills first in my book,

unknown speaker 11:02
yeah, it's a celebration of people with different disabilities, and gives people out there a chance to share stories about their disability in, chat people with a disability.

Poppy 11:19
I think it's a day when people with a disability can sort of get more of a voice and be more visible in the media, and hopefully we get our issues out there, and maybe there'll be a day where we don't need to celebrate because we're just a part of society more and celebrated every day. It's not about disability, it's about ability.

Paul 11:45
Thank you. What does international day people disability means to me, pretty much like everyone's covered it, it's a day of self to celebrate who we are, what we've achieved. International

Romeo 11:58
Day of disability means to me, celebrating all the good things that people with disability can do.

Beck 12:10
So what a national disability means, International Day of People with disability. This meeting, yeah, we've come from and what we achieved and and and it just being proud to have a disability. OK?

Sarah 12:28
Becky, yeah, we have done a lot so far, and we still got lot more to do. So don't keep hiding us. Come out and be proud who you are,

Janet 12:41
yeah. What does International Day of People with Disabilities mean to me? It means that we're remembering where we came from, which is not that good, like so much discrimination, and we're also celebrating where we are, and we're celebrating that we're proud of who we are, and there's no like focus on the ability. No, it's disability, and we love it. That's what International Day of People with disability means to me.

Speaker 2 13:22
Into the National Diabetes with disability means that gives people with intellectual disability a spot to be recognised for the hard work they do over the years. And, you know, just a recognition that people with disabilities can actually do something besides just a label put to put to them.

Speaker 3 13:48
How are you celebrating International Day of people with a disability today?

Unknown Speaker  13:53
So this is I'm going to an award ceremony at the Victorian library, which is the 2024 Victorian Disability Awards. I am a finalist for the Pride Champion Award.

Unknown Speaker 14:14
What were you nominated for?

Unknown Speaker 14:16
So the stuff we've been doing in advocacy and self advocacy is rover rights. I'm a I'm a rover rights member, where, for people with intellectual disabilities in the LGBTIQ community, we go around and raise our awareness to people saying that, you know, rover rights have all intellectual disabilities, and we show, you know, show that we can actually do stuff, and we've got to give a sexuality choice as well. And also, I'm a founding member and a board member of IRV, which is Inclusive Rainbow Voices, which is for people, which is for people with. Are it's an advocacy organisation for people with with disabilities in the LGBTIQ a class community.

Unknown Speaker 15:09
Do you have anything else you would like to say about International Day?

Unknown Speaker 15:18
Just as you know, respect everyone equally. Mainly, respect everyone equally. Don't judge people. Go for the past history, judging for what they're doing now and a big change to society.

Unknown Speaker 15:37
What does national disability

Unknown Speaker 15:39
of people with a disability Day mean to you.

Unknown Speaker 15:45
Well as [?Madeleine Prasad], it means to me, helping my community, Aboriginal community, helping people with disabilities get what they need and support them and will stand up for people that they're not scared and they're not In fear. And as a person with a dual disability, you know you have the right to feel safe, connected and supported with knowledge, training and wisdom, and I'm very proud that I can do what I need to do and achieve it all.

Unknown Speaker 16:15
How are you celebrating International Day of People with disability today? 

Unknown Speaker 16:21
Well, today, I'm going to out tonight to church. We're going to have a multicultural dinner and fundraising, and I'll have a speech up there, and I'll really say what I need to get done for people with disabilities, and I will make it happen, because we've got a diverse community. And thank you.

Unknown Speaker 16:38
Do you have anything else you would like to say about national disability?

Unknown Speaker 16:46
Yes, I would. National Disability all over Australia. That's really good for people with, you know, having a go, getting out there for lived, experienced people having disabilities. You know, we can have a fun, humble day, and there's supports in place to help us, and we can get out, have a meal, share with community, and really connect. But there's a lot of issues, like out there, the justice system, incarceration, self funding. We need more funding to keep these groups going, like PPP, brain injury, matters reinforce. We will make a change of lived, experienced people. Governments need to listen to us, and I'll make it happen. Thank you. Kylie, Heather and James, thank you very much.

Unknown Speaker 17:30
Thank you.

Speaker 5 17:34
Hello, James, hello. How are you? 

James  17:39
Very good, Actually.

Speaker 5 17:42
What does International Day of People disability mean to you?

James  17:49
It means people that have a disability getting out and about and learning about their their own disability. And it's not fair on people with hidden disabilities because they have a hidden disability, and it's not fair on people because they get picked on about their disability, and it's hard on the person to get picked on about their disability, because it's their disability and they need to be strong about themselves.

Unknown speaker  18:34
How are you celebrated International Day of People with disability today,

James  18:44
I celebrated National Disability Day because I came to the event today because I am a strong person, and I have a disability myself, and most people don't have a disability, and I love coming to events because it's freedom of speech.

Unknown Speaker 19:14
Do you have anything else you would like to say about international day of April disability,

Unknown Speaker 19:25
Yes, people need to speak up about their disability and not hide their disability and speak up About speak up about National Disability Day.

Unknown Speaker 19:41
Hi, Heather, hello. What does National Disability Day of people with a disability mean to you?

Heather  19:50
It means people with disability getting out there into the community and the. A wider community having disability awareness and including us in events.

Unknown Speaker  20:14
How are you celebrating International Day of people with a disability? 

Heather  20:18
Today, I went to a event for International Day of People with disability that was in at Worlds House, and there was a lot of people there, and it was a good day. People were asked to wear purple at the event in at wash house, and I was very lucky, because I was one of the winners for being the most purple person.

Unknown Speaker  20:59
Do you have anything else you would like to say about International Day?

Heather 21:06
I just would like to say, if the government wants us to celebrate International Day of People with a Disability, why don't they give self advocacy groups ongoing funding and people with a disability giving them funding in the NDIS plan for the support that they need? Instead of [?Cardin Cardinal].

Unknown Speaker 21:44
We have just spoken to Cam from Rainbow Rights earlier, and we have now news hot off the press, Cameron is the 2024 Disability Pride Champion of the Victorian Disability Awards - well done.

Unknown Speaker 22:11
If you have just joined in, we are Raising Our Voices on the 3CR, 855 AM. If you'd like more information about any of the self advocacy groups you have heard about today, please email R, O, V, at, A, M, I, D, A  dot org, dot  A U, or join us on Raising Our Voices Facebook page, we will put links on this page to the self advocacy groups.

Sarah 22:54
Thanks for listening to Raising Our Voices, where we celebrate International Day of People with Disability. We are run by people with disability, and we give people with disability a voice on the airways. Now stay tuned on 3CR, 855 AM.

Janet 23:19
Happy National Day of People with Disability!

Chris 23:26
Thank you very much, listeners for listening to us for 37 years and join us again next year in 2025 for a whole new year, yay. And we will have heaps of more topics for you to listen to, for everybody, from Raising Our voice, would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. And we're going to go on to We Wish You a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year song right here on 3CR community radio.

Song  25:00
He takes you away. Oh.... (etc)

Unknown Speaker 6 28:23
You've been listening to a 3CR podcast produced in the studios of independent community radio station 3CR in Melbourne, Australia. For more information, go to all the w's dot 3 C R dot org dot A U.