Speak My Language

The accessibility of the ballot box reflects whether our democracy is truly built on equality and fairness. Those at the greatest risk of being excluded from voting are people with disabilities, especially if they experience additional barriers of language and culture.

program has produced a series of interviews to help educate members of our multicultural communities about accessible voting.

When our attitudes and cultures become more inclusive and accepting of disability, inevitably, language will struggle to catch up. , as new vocabularies and ways of discussing disability emerge. While multicultural communities are becoming more inclusive, many of us are still unlearning old and even offensive terms that describe conditions and impairments, but have been deeply engrained into our vocabularies. 

Here is a bit of information about the way language is evolving, and why it matters.

Don't mistake it as selfishness—sometimes, living well means putting your self first. Our personal comfort and self care needs to be a top priority. Often, people who are  may struggle with making their comfort and self care the top priority. This can be because people with conditions like autism and ADHD may mask their true behaviours and feelings to fit into a 'neurotypical' world. 

Neurodiversity Celebration Week (March 21 - 27) is a worldwide initiative that challenges stereotypes and misconceptions about autism and learning disabilities. Speak My Language is sharing the stories of neurodivergent people from culturally diverse backgrounds to help make multicultural Australia a more inclusive place. 

Dancing is an innately human impulse, shared by all cultures. Even before the earliest of civilisations, dance has been a core part of ceremony, ritual, celebration and entertainment. Dance allows us to express ourselves individually and connect with our communities collectively.

International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) is held on 3 December each year. This United Nations observed day, celebrated around the world, aims to increase public awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disability and celebrate their achievements and contributions.

We all have places to go, people to see and appointments to keep. For many Australians, catching a bus, ferry, train or tram is what allows us to get from point A to B in our busy schedules. For some people with disabilities who are unable to drive their own car, public transport may be the only way they can get around their city, or travel into regional areas.  For others, it may simply be the most convenient transport choice. Just like anyone else, public transport enables people with disability to fully participate in community life by getting them where they want to go. 

Art galleries and museums are the home of our nation's cultural and artistic heritage. They house creativity, develop and challenge our sense of national and personal identity and often leave us inspired. No matter where you live in Australia, you can find an accessible and inclusive gallery experience. Here are some of our suggestions for this summer depending on your state or territory:

We spend most of our time inside our mind, so in order to live well, we must look after our mental health. This means we actively try to enjoy life as much as possible, learn skills to cope with stress and manage mental health challenges that may arise throughout life. Understanding our mental and emotional wellbeing opens up the door to living a better and more fulfilling life, preparing us for the peaks and valleys we will all face on our journey.

Psychosocial disability is often misunderstood and rarely discussed, despite . As our attention turns to these issues during October, as we mark Mental Health Month, it’s worth digging deeper into psychosocial disability to better understand it.