Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today, I want to say 'happy birthday' to a very special constituent friend and volunteer in my office, Alexis Smith. Alexis just celebrated her 50th birthday, and while this is an important milestone for anybody this is extraordinarily special for Alexis. Alexis has osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic condition which inhibits the development of strong bones. In Alexis's case this has left her with very brittle easily breakable bones and shorter limbs, confining her to a very specialised wheelchair. It is a sad fact that due to the respiratory complications and the high possibility of trauma that can be easily inflicted by a small accident, many people living with OI never reach the ripe age of 50. Alexis often jokes that the many serious issues she has had accessing appropriate support and government funding stem from the fact that they 'just did not expect me to still be here. My problem is I am still alive'.

Most of the appropriate support and funding in this area is actually geared towards young children, and this has been a genuine problem which has plagued Alexis as she has grown older. It was particularly special to join Alexis and a crowd of more than 50 people, including family, neighbours, friends and support workers, in Huntingdale hall on Saturday night. Her sister Margaret, as always, did an amazing job. She is a terrific support of Alexis and her extended family. Many others were also there, cooking an amazing array of food and topping it off with 50 delicious lemon cupcakes.

I first met Alexis at Clayton North Primary School many years ago when she was there with a support service known as Disability Dogs. They were doing a reading program. The dogs were reading to the children. I know it sounds ridiculous, but when you see it in action it works, and it works beautifully. Alexis bemoaned the fact that no-one would give her an opportunity to even volunteer in their office. So I said, 'Fine. Come on down to mine.' There were some issues with my lifts and other things to accommodate Alexis in my office, but once that had been achieved Alexis was able to work in my office and has been working in my office ever since. She is a great asset to it, as well as her disability dog, which makes the place just happier to be in.

Broken bones have been a way of life for Alexis. She broke one literally just before her birthday, but she was determined to go on and have a fantastic party. This has not stopped Alexis from living a full and successful life, with many achievements, including obtaining a master's degree in finance and accounting from Deakin University. It is a wonderful privilege to know Alexis and her amazing family. Her father is about to turn 90. He is one of her primary carers. Again, this is because we cannot get people to care for Alexis because she 'falls between the cracks'. I have Alexis in my office, working as part of my team every week.

I am pleased to say that Alexis is not the only person with a disability who volunteers to work in my office. As much as possible, I try to assist constituents with work experience opportunities. We need to do everything possible to open up more opportunities for people with disabilities. I am also fortunate right now to have an amazing volunteer in Lisa, who is doing a work placement in my office from Holmesglen TAFE. Lisa has cerebral palsy. It affects her ability to communicate, and she uses a special speech machine to communicate with us. It does not stop her from rapidly firing off many things via that machine or having the greatest cheek of anyone I have come across in my office. She has an amazing intellect and knowledge of facts about many things political. She is confined to a wheelchair and needs physical assistance with a number of tasks that we all take for granted, but Lisa is a bright, bubbly, cheeky, delightful and intelligent young woman, who approaches her work with a diligence and competence that few others would. Indeed, we often run out of work for Lisa to do because she has churned through it in such an amazing fashion. Like Alexis, Lisa has quickly become an integral and valuable part of my office—Lisa especially because she gives an amazing amount of stick to the rest of my staff!

But the frustrating truth remains that far too many employers still refuse to look past the disability and far too many dismiss the opportunity to employ the services of persons with a disability, without even meeting them. Holmseglen TAFE are finding it increasingly difficult to find organisations willing to accept work experienced students with a disability. They cite fear of liability and insurance issues. It is really these issues that can readily and easily be dealt with—and we have. Even in Lisa's case a cerebral palsy support organisation was concerned that Lisa's physical needs would be too demanding for them and so they would not take her on a placement. Anyone would have thought that they would have been the first to help. Ultimately, it is their loss and my gain because it is my workplace that is now a better place, thanks to Lisa.

So I implore more organisations to open themselves up to people with a disability. People like Alexis and Lisa are capable and smart and have a lot to offer. Through no fault of their own, they face daily physical challenges that we have a responsibility to help them overcome—not to use that as an excuse to deny them every opportunity. Again, happy birthday, Alexis. It was an absolute delight to be there on Saturday. Well done on getting to 50. (Time expired)