Breaking Down the Barriers

Heidi Forrest

Heidi Forrest

I am a born optimist and in the words of Monty Python ‘I always look on the bright side of life’. I had a wonderful childhood in the Hunter Valley. I lived a ‘normal’ life with the ‘normal’ expectations of a teenager. However, even though my ‘normal’ expectations remained, my life changed significantly. I had a brain haemorrhage which initially left me totally paralysed—well not really, I could blink one eye and that was important to me as it meant I could communicate and have a ‘voice’. I guess that was the beginning of one of my journeys where I focused on my abilities and everybody else focused on my disability. All I wanted to do was to continue my ‘normal’ life and have the same opportunities that are available to other people. However, I soon realised that ‘normal’ means different things to different people.

The importance I placed on maintaining a strong vision was reinforced when I learnt that my son has a disability too. I adamantly refused to allow him to be labelled. My own experiences taught me that labels are restrictive and lead to stereotyping. If he was labelled his potential would be capped. He inspired me to become more active in the disability sector and try and defend and promote the rights of people that are more vulnerable and marginalised. I became an active member and eventually the president of People With Disability Australia (PWD). I believe through a collective voice we can make a difference.

My son motivated me to become involved in disability advocacy and PWD provided me with the opportunities to fulfil those goals. Whilst I was president of PWD, I was actively involved in many areas of advocacy, including the development of the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. I was able to use my life experiences as well as the experiences of my family and friends to help enrich the text so that it could be used as a tool to make a meaningful difference in the day-to-day lives of people with disability. Since my term ended at PWD, I have been studying Law at Newcastle University and will complete my degree at the end of this year and then…. who knows what’s next. I do know I will continue to be involved in disability advocacy—it’s not only fulfilling but I’ve made lots of wonderful friends along the way.