These discussions around disability are changing in Australia. Now the focus has shifted towards creating societal change rather than only addressing the needs of those impacted. Jeremy Muir, Chief Executive of Physical Disability Australia, has used a wheelchair for more than 40 years. He provides the services not to improve lives but to fundamentally change how society sees and treats people with disabilities. Nick Parsons, a blind founding partner at W Advisers, recounts his experiences moving through physical spaces. He shares his experience of getting into the digital space. Together, they underscore the need for accessibility and inclusivity to be a part of our daily lives rather than an afterthought.
Anne Kavanaugh, professor in the University of Melbourne’s School of Population and Global Health, offers deep, critical insights worth absorbing. Her perspectives add depth to the conversation. Kavanaugh further contends that disability has been “over-medicalised” and that we must look at it as “a natural part of the human condition.” That united call to action is a powerful reminder that when we work to build a more inclusive society, everyone wins—not just people with disabilities.
A Personal Perspective on Disability
Jeremy Muir has lived more than 40 years as a wheelchair user. He claims his wheelchair isn’t his limitation but is the thing that makes him independent. Muir points out that the more inclusive society is designed from the ground up, the more it makes getting around easy for everybody.
“I live a very independent life … my independence is only restricted by my surroundings and the built environment.” – Jeremy Muir
Muir’s struggles ring true for so many of us who live with physical disabilities. Looking back, he recalls how accessibility issues turned even the most basic activities into overwhelming challenges. For instance, he had to roll into an adjacent building just to access a bathroom. On the ground, this translates to a continued need for better infrastructure that centers inclusivity.
Nick Parsons expresses similar feelings looking at the world as a blind person. By accessing all the updated content required with screen reading technology, digital files created new opportunities for him. He’s experienced challenges at past positions when systems were not accessible with his assistive technology.
“I felt like I had my hands tied behind my back. I felt like I was letting people down because I was unable to do fairly simple things.” – Nick Parsons
Parsons’ experiences put a fine point on the need for communities to construct spaces that support independence. Regardless, he notes an unprecedented improvement in accessibility over the past 20 years. With the new bridge, he can now independently access his local train station—an independence and accomplishment that would have been unthinkable just twenty years ago.
“Forty years ago, or 20 years ago, I wouldn’t be able to access my local train station [or] get up to my local suburb on my own in my wheelchair.” – Nick Parsons
The Role of Society in Accessibility
Both Muir and Parsons advocate for the social model of disability, which emphasizes the importance of societal responsibility in enabling participation for people with disabilities. Anne Kavanaugh explains how this model promotes a change in mindset that is critical to addressing disability issues.
“[The social model of disability] has been around since the 1980s, and it really shifted people’s thinking around the responsibility of society and the ways in which society can be changed to enable people with disability to participate on an equal basis as others.” – Anne Kavanaugh
Kavanaugh reminds us that people with disabilities face much more than structural barriers. Yet, these barriers should never limit what they are able to accomplish or limit their participation in the community. Instead, she argues that disability should be viewed as “not a tragedy, not necessarily a superpower — just part of being human in the world.”
They both recognize that, even though the strides that have been made towards improving accessibility are clear, there are still a long ways to go. Parsons cautions that more government investment, changes in policy, and an openness from the public will be needed to keep the momentum going.
“Unfortunately, it still takes a willingness and it still takes the right attitude, government funding and policy … to ensure that access keeps improving.” – Nick Parsons
The Importance of Inclusion
Muir’s leadership at Physical Disability Australia has been a key force in advocating for improved nationwide accessibility standards, addressing the built environment, transportation, and employment sectors. He believes that when people with disabilities are included in the planning stages of public spaces and services, it leads to meaningful changes.
“When society is designed to include people with disability from the start, it makes an enormous difference.” – Jeremy Muir
Further, Muir shares his experience when his employer renovated their office to be more wheelchair accessible. Even after all of that renovation work had been done, he personally needed to spend twelve months walking through the space before it felt completely usable. Experiences like this highlight the need for organizations to focus on inclusion before it becomes a problem rather than after it’s too late.
Parsons sings a similar tune when it comes to voicing his frustrations with accessibility at neighborhood businesses. He describes the lengths he now has to go to get services that can support him well enough to live freely.
“My local barber is [not accessible], so I have to drive to a few suburbs away to a major shopping centre … I have to have someone with me to do that — it’s not just inconvenient for me, it’s inconveniencing my partner.” – Nick Parsons
Muir and Parsons are advocates for a future where accessibility is just the way we do things. They look forward to a day when it will no longer be an afterthought.
