Disability activism or disability advocacy – Which directive approach will I forego in fighting for political and social inclusion in 2015 and thereafter?

The emotional, academic and personal sides of my ‘so-called’ life

It’s near towards the final days of 2014. Now I’m invested on the reinvention of my disability activism/advocacy knowledge and abilities. Until this blog was relaunched two weeks ago, blogging or freelance journalism weren’t laid into any future career prosperities. Haven’t reached fifty entries on my blog nor collected admirers who gathered strength and willpower on perusing long held childhood dreams. My Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts have retained little viewership from other disability activists, advocates, political leaders or award-winning freelance journalists and bloggers.

So where does 2015 leave me?

2014 was both a highlight and lowlight consumed with tragedy, social disengagement and isolation and witnessing assassinations to my own ethical character. I said goodbye to two schoolmates who died too young, struggled with my uni studies and succeeded with the first assessment stages to become a qualified radio presenter/producer. I again volunteered with the South Australian Agricultural and Horticultural Society Inc. for the 175^th anniversary of the Royal Adelaide Show held at Wayville Showgrounds in September and the Adelaide Feast queer cultural festival in November after second semester ended for the third year in the row. I had a few public speaking engagements, including one radio interview that accounted on disability awareness, ableism, LGBTIQ identity, autism, social income welfare and sexual health thanks largely to Ralph Brew (SHine SA), Katharine Annear (Flinders University), Georgina Edwards (Purple Orange/Julia Farr Youth) and Silvana Grant (Adelaide People First).

To educate and teach about disability activism and identity assimilates a deep urgency in disproving stereotypical and discriminatory opinions pertaining to those with a disability, mental illness, chronic illness and/or sensory impairment. With blogging, I work on briefing, informing and advising those outside of my life that disability is not manufactured on old centurial definitions from medical experts, scientists or political actors. I seek no cure or miracle to prefect into a normalised version of my current identity. I preach against ableism. Never will I succumb to pressures that society inflicts on those with no voice.

Stella Young, Charlotte Dawson and former South African president Nelson Mandela join a list of ‘immortal’ role models and peer mentors I won’t get the great honour to meet. Stella and I conversed through many emails and tweets three years earlier, but sadly I never got to become a part of her social circle or protégé to her well documented ideologies on ‘crip’ activism. Changing how local, national and international institutions think, visualise and learn about disability has enlisted another recruit and I hereby pledge to continue what Stella herself was unable to get finished. Once ABC’s Ramp Up website re-emerges or another news blogging site picks me up, my first published article or op-ed will be written while silently acknowledging Stella.

So now guys, 2015 promises more insightful arguments and epiphanies, more mythbusting, more dialoguing and more personal stories that reflect how I live, act, speak and write. This voice has just started to hatch. The next untold chapter awaits you.

And to disabled bloggers or future blog-groupies, catch what I enjoy expressing and find out how another autistic mindset reflects, navigates and ponders!