Resource:

[Title on screen reads, ‘Lead and Take Part’]

[Our Site logo]

[Text on screen reads, ‘Women and girls with disability have a right to take part in all areas of life’]

[Twenty something KIRRA]

It's that whole kind of saying of work with people, don't work for people. If your organising group doesn't have people with disabilities in it you're not organising for people with disabilities and it's very exclusionary.

[Short statured Margherita sits on a couch with her dog]

[MARGHERITA]

What's changed is that lots of advocacy used to be for people instead of advocating with people. And they're co-designing.
I think that's where - I think women with disabilities do that really well. And there's some great women in the sector who do that really well.

[Text on screen reads, ‘This includes politics, education, work, hobbies, sports, community events and advocacy groups’]

[DANIELLE]

Dancing has helped me come out of my shell a lot. And that makes me feel empowered, it makes me feel like I can do anything I set my mind to. It's just given me a whole new outlook on life, like it's made me have more belief in myself and my capabilities as a person with a disability.

[MARGHERITA]

The World Dwarf Games started some ten years ago. Australia has competed now in the last three World Dwarf Games, the 2009, '13 and '17. I've competed in all three as a boccia player. The last Games I broadened, I didn't just play boccia, which I didn't - the first two Games I did. I picked up powerlifting.
What was really funny was when they did the medal announcement that somebody reminded me, he said, "Well, on your first lift you actually broke the world record."

[Text on screen reads, ‘We can also be leaders in our communities’]

[Red-haired Liesl is in her office]

[LIESL]

If you have a disability, it doesn't mean that you can't do whatever you want to do in the whole wide world and I've actually joined the Commonwealth Parliamentarians, part of an inaugural group of Commonwealth parliamentarians with disabilities talking to parliaments around the world about the importance of including people with disabilities in political parties as well, so encouraging people with diverse abilities in political parties to be part of that party and have a voice.

[JUDY]

I'm a woman with an intellectual disability. I work for the Speak Out Association of Tasmania as a self-advocacy liaison, which means I help people with disabilities speak up for themselves about their rights and that sort of stuff.

[Text on screen reads, ‘We may sit on Boards or Committees, contribute to advocacy organisations or mentor other women and girls with disability’]

[MONIQUE]

I've mentored, I think, about three or four people that I know that I - I helped them. I...keep in contact with them. I sometimes see their parents and they say that they're doing really well and that makes me feel really good.

[MARGHERITA]

Well, I really want to encourage everyone, ah, no matter where you are in your life, to think about self-advocacy for A - yourself and your lived experience. It's such a strong position to be able to advocate if you've been there, done that yourself.

[EMILY]

What inspires me is strong women, women who aren't afraid to stand up for what they believe is right, who aren't afraid to be different, who aren't afraid to be who they are, who aren't afraid to follow their passions. They are the kind of women that inspire me.

[Text on screen reads, ‘Learn more at Our Site oursite.wwda.org.au’]

[The logo for Women with Disabilities Australia (WWDA)]