masters & the why
Figuring out what I want to do has taken me a while; it probably started when I was tossing up between doing further study in either dietetics (more one-on-one), teaching, or public health (more global). I had a sit-down with one of my lecturers, and she reminded me that public health was a viable option…
The Tassie ride has partly given me the incentive. So the ride itself was EPIC fun, we had people every step of the way and were and are very grateful for this! We managed to raise close to 22k for the Stroke Foundation since the start of January 2025, and the main event, the 3 points journey, consisting of exactly 4 weeks.
There were some people we met along the way who reminded me of where we, as disabled people, sit in the food chain (in a good way!), just highlighting the inequalities.
But I know this battered body can still have input into a meaningful area.
I don't see it as just being below the poverty line; that’s a major issue, but in some circumstances, being paid below the minimum wage, regardless of awards or assessed work capacity percentage (fairwork), these humans are working to the best of their ability. What's the price of quality of life?
The rights of a disabled person.
Is it fair to struggle to put food on the table or pay bills? According to poverty & equity, 1 in 4 disabled people live in poverty and ‘tend to be worse off’ financially, let alone in an emergency (AIHW). I’ll reiterate, is that just and fair? I don't think ‘tend’ is the right word here.
I am extremely lucky to be in the position to say I am 1 of the 3 people living with a disability to have completed year 12. (Human Rights Commission) And I'll say this, I regret not putting in harder days' work in school.
In terms of further education for people living with disabilities, only 17.0% of students with disability aged 20 and over have a bachelor’s degree or higher compared with 35.0% of those without disabilities (ADCET)
Yet, interestingly, I was intrigued and curious, and pretty much as I thought, there are limited scholarships/grants for people with disabilities at a university level. Now there are some eg RMIT/Dylan alcott foundation or Melbourne Uni with the Robertson scholarship, which is under 10k (funny how they word it ‘.....is offered to assist physically handicapped students.’) I think they are a bit behind the times… Anyway, looking further afield, there's La Trobe Flexible Research Scholarship (Flex) - Candidates with Disabilities. Monash Graduate Research Equity Supplement.
But basically nothing that stands out, that highlights, YES, we see you as a person and we want to give you your best opportunities possible, because it’s fair.
Moreover, in 2023, undergraduates with a reported disability had a full-time employment rate of 71.0%, which was 8.9% lower than the 79.9% for undergraduates without disability. (ADCET)
This data is talking in terms of full-time, and sometimes it is just not feasible to work full-time, due to other mandatory commitments, eg an appointment. Looking at myself, I'm a hell of a slow walker, so already my time in a day for work or play is already reduced.
Also, it is ironic that there is no mandatory employment requirement in Australia, so it makes you wonder if it is assumption bias….? (Human Rights Commission)
Levelling the playing field is really not that hard, it’s just the government won't act, they don’t want us to be able to have these opportunities. Simply reduce the fee or payback HECS-HELP rate of higher education for the 1 in 3 disabled people who are going to university. (shocking, I know, I wonder where I got the idea…..)
So by accommodating as close to as many needs as possible, accessibility, financial further cost, e.g. technology, advocacy issues, or in other words, addressing the gap between the disabled and the enabled. (Education)
The question is, when are we going to be given these opportunities?
PS I'm doing an 8-week acting course called scene study, it's term 4. My objectives are a) to have some fun, b) to work on my game face (sometimes I smile while in the scene), c) long-term, I would like to give a bit of representation, e.g. a 5 to 1 ratio in everyday films and d) when doing self-taping auditions make it a bit more ‘clear’ as to what ‘they’ the casting directors want from us.
PPS Don't get me started on the Centrelink DSP and the $0.50 to the dollar bullshit!
As always,
Peace out
TQ
