Video transcript - A strong voice

So often I’ll go to a GP or a hospital for treatment.

And people will just get really complexed out by my disability.

See me as a whole, not just Karin, the person that has cerebral palsy.

A strong voice

People with disabilities sometimes get talked down to and treated like they’re a baby or a child.

And don’t look at them, like the professionals don’t look at them and speak in a hard to understand language.

It’s often the case that people with disabilities are on the lower scales of health so it’s much harder for us.

I was diagnosed with mosaic Down syndrome at four and the ADHD only last year.

It’s been an interesting journey.

I’ve had struggles with mental health probably most of my life.

When people think you’ve got a disability, you’re not taken seriously in terms of your thoughts. You can be invalidated.

People just go, “Oh well, that’s you, you’ve got a mental health condition. Nothing that you say is true.”

My son, he has cerebral palsy. He had a brain haemorrhage when he was two weeks old.

He had an emergency birth and he was left with autism, high level autism, Cerebral palsy, visual impairment, and he’s non-verbal.

It’s very important for people to have a strong voice with their health care.

Listen and understand, rather than trying to impose your own beliefs and thoughts.

And often, as a medical practitioner, you might be the person with the knowledge, but it’s really important to honour the person and know what they bring to the equation and helping to solve their own health care issues.

They have the long term knowledge and the history of what they need and they need to be able to have a strong voice

So that they can have their needs and their concerns met and be given the appropriate treatment that they need without it not being seen behind their disability.

People with disability need to have a strong voice in their health care because they need to in order to live life, they need to be able to have that strong voice. But it’s difficult to do. They need help to do it as well. So that’s a challenge.

You should ask me, are you okay? And ask me how I’m going and things like that. Hear the person, like ask them how life is for them? How do they feel? How do they react to things?

We can take an extra step to make sure we’re providing good, inclusive services for everyone.

I hope people have an understanding and actually speak up for more people with disabilities.

I’m only one voice, but if that voice Is united with other voices, we can be stronger.

Look beyond the surface.

There is more to me.

I have many layers.

See, hear and respect me for who I am.

See Me. Hear Me. Respect Me.