Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

( Disabled people are awesome. This year on International Day of People With Disability, our Australian disability community is more politically engaged than ever before. This year's global theme is all about the transformative solutions that we need for inclusive development. I would love it if this government would urgently adopt transformative solutions that would improve the lives of disabled people. However, this year this government has adopted a very different theme. The government wants us this Saturday—I kid you not—to spend a day #lookingbeyond our disabilities, as in look beyond our disabilities.

This government wouldn't tell First Nations people ahead of international day of First Nations people to look beyond their skin colour. This government wouldn't tell a woman ahead of International Women's Day to look beyond their gender. So why is it appropriate that this government would ask disabled people to look beyond the reality that we are disabled people? Imagine how a vision impaired person feels about that. Imagine how somebody with an invisible disability feels about that. How about we try something radical, folks, and look at the wheelchair. To address ableism we must authentically engage disabled people. To address ableism everyone must look directly at how we can improve our places and spaces. To our allies and supporters: see us; don't look past us. To fellow disabled people: I hope you feel seen and celebrated today and every day. To this government: do better.