Speaking out for disability

It’s the “innocent discrimination” that irks people with disability, according to disability ambassador Shane Scott.

Mr Scott, a motivational speaker, counsellor and trainer, has refused to let cerebral palsy run his life and dismissed a ‘life-in-care’ diagnosis.

After graduating in social work from UQ last year, he opened his own counselling and mentoring business called Access Counselling Services.

Mr Scott counsels people with disability and trains businesses to better serve their customers and staff, particularly on disability issues.

The 24-year-old from Windaroo in Brisbane’s south will give an insider’s view on living with disability at a breakfast on Wednesday (March 16) at UQ Ipswich.

He will speak from 7.30am at the Campus Café (building no.21), Salisbury Road, Ipswich.

“I can see the innocent discrimination practices that are happening in the community,” Mr Scott said.

“I was coming out of K-Mart the other day and the lady stopped me to look in my bag.

“She said: ‘Do you know Chris’?

“I said: ‘Chris who’?

“She said: ‘He’s got a disability like you’.

“Now just because me and Chris have a disability doesn’t mean I know Chris.

“Even though it’s very innocent, it’s still discriminating against people with a disability because you wouldn’t ask a banker if he knew your accountant.”

Mr Scott said he opened his business to fill the void in training about disabilities.

“A lot of organisations have career advancement and training but sometimes the disability stuff gets left out of their training regimes.”

“I really enjoy public speaking as not everyone with a disability can voice their opinions.”

Tickets for the breakfast, hosted by UQ’s Social Work and Social Policy Alumni and Associates, are $25 per person and $20 per full-time student, with a two-course breakfast after Mr Scott’s presentation.

Media: contact Mr Scott (phone: 07 5546 4547, email: accesscservices@yahoo.com.au), Nikki Langton for tickets (phone: 3346 3910, email: nikki.langton@uq.edu.au) or Miguel Holland at UQ Communications (phone: 3365 2619, email: m.holland@uq.edu.au)