Hello I’m Rodney Mills. I’m a 30 year old man with Autism. I have lived an amazing life that has seen me go from having no voice to becoming the empowered person that I am today.

Having a voice is essential for everyone irrespective of whether you have a disability or not. In my case it’s in these typed words that you’re hearing my voice. I use facilitated communication to type these words. This involves a facilitator holding my arm or shoulder to help me to better use my arm to type.

On 4th March 2001 I was admitted to Hospital in Canberra having been found collapsed in my car in a coma. I had just had an intra-ventricular haemorrhage (I think I've heard it called a haemorrhagic stroke). It has knocked me out of almost everything. I am unable to work and described by the doctors as permanently disabled!

Audio: 

shuffle the cards.pdf

Attached files: 

ricks article Change happens.pdf

Well, I was born a long time ago when no-one knew what cerebral palsy really was and local doctors (Townsville, Qld) would scratch their head at my strange way of walking and talking, and once, when I could not keep still for a hospital nurse who was trying to treat an injury, I was abused for being naughty. While I did attend a kindergarten, the state-school system refused to accept me - so be it, I just had to get on my own way. When I eventually learned to ride a bike, I was able to earn a few shillings delivering papers (it was a particular area of Townsville that no-one else wanted).

My name is Shona, I am 30 years old and 5 years ago I had a car accident and am now a bilateral amputee.  My left leg is above knee high and my right leg is below knee.  I am now in a wheelchair.

Hi! My name is Mike and the first breath I took was delayed by 18 minutes on the 16th October 1959. I had a very long delivery as my mother was left in labor for too long and when the Doctor was called, I was in a bad way. He had no time to transfer my mother to a Hospital to undergo a cesarean so I was delivered straight away.  When I came into this world I was unable to breathe and when the Doctor asked for the oxygen, he was told that the bottle was empty.

Emma Bennison has been completely blind since birth. She has a Bachelor Degree in music where she became a classically trained singer, and is now Acting Director of Access Arts Inc. Emma and her blind husband have two children, their own band, one seeing-eye dog (retired since this interview was conducted), and their own house in Brisbane’s Northern suburbs.

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