My name is Sara.  I am 22 and have just completed a Bachelor of Arts degree studying with Griffith University though Open Universities Australia.  I am vision and hearing impaired and also have diabetes type 1.My hearing difficulties were evident from a young age and by the age of 8 I was wearing both hearing aids and glasses.  A year later I was diagnosed with diabetes and many, many tests to find any relationship between these conditions led to the diagnosis by a neurologist of a rare condition called Wolfram Syndrome, a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system.&

When I understood the meaning of life.

Hi I am a young girl living in Australia in the suburbs of sydney. I have 1 brother and 1 sister who are my best friends aswell. I am the youngest and most pampered. . I moved to Sydney when I was 12.My life in high school was unforgettable, with lots of great friends and the best family I enjoyed my teen years with great joy, going out was common and my life was all about fun, a healthy and happy life,but I guess I took a lot for granted and didn’t value the real things.

Emma is a 25 year old psychology student. A severe brain haemorrhage on Christmas Eve 2003 began her journey of hospitals, rehabilitation wards, International travel and a deep sense of support, closeness and love for her family. Emma began taking photos and doing graphic design shortly after recovering from her illness. Since then, she has developed a bumper sticker that reflects her sense of herself and has grown a very impressive photographic collection of everyday life through her eyes.

FACILITATOR: Was your disability organic or acquired?

On the 17th of September, Friday, I was 20 years old and developing my independence; I had moved out of home with my boyfriend, I had a job at a pharmacy and I was experiencing what it was like to live as an adult in the “real world”.