The Lessons We Cannot Afford to Ignore From the Additional Needs Community
Louis’ first tentative steps off the after-school bus would signal the beginning of our time together. From there we would embark on adventures that would take us all over Melbourne; from the CBD to indoor play centres in Footscray, to the chilly climes of Tullamarine Airport. It was during these times that I was able to see life through a new lens.
I had never spent so much time with someone with special needs. Unfamiliar with the aid work industry, my attitude towards the additional needs community was shaped by the opinions of mainstream society. Influenced by an unspoken prejudice that causes us to think that ‘looking after’ someone with a disability requires a unique type of human being. Yet, here I was, an image conscious nineteen year old working with Louis, a thirteen year old boy with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Contrary to my initial expectations it turned out that, despite his ‘disability,’ Louis had much to teach me.
This was most obvious out in public, where Louis was not shackled to the same bonds of immaturity and self-consciousness that guided my own behaviour in the world. Unabashed, Louis would wander up to complete strangers and engage them in conversation. Initially, this would trigger my protective instincts causing me to swoop in, accompanied by a flurry of apologies, to break up the situation. However, this anxiety was soon replaced by wonder, as I would watch Louis charm these people with the innocent nature of his questions, allowing him to extract a grin from the sternest of faces-including a bikie on on one occasion.
Although I have only been working with Louis for a short time, I’ve also, through him, seen humanity at its best. I have seen people, filled with a spirit of generosity only Louis’ smile can inspire, break the ordinary protocol of their jobs to give him a unique experience. These occasions have seen street cleaners let us ‘inspect’ their vehicles and dockworkers let us trespass for the purpose of watching freight trains pass by.
My companions innocence and the joy he derives from just about everything is incredibly humbling. By a process of osmosis, the supposed problems of my week are replaced by the unabated joy I feel at seeing Louis’ reactions to bouncing on a trampoline or watching a plane fly overhead.
Moments such as these stand in stubborn defiance of the breakneck speed with which we conduct our lives. A pace which means we are often guilty of isolating ourselves within our own personal bubbles, ignoring the ordinary, everyday, pleasures of life.
December 3rd marks International Day of People With a Disability which aims to increase public awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with additional needs. More importantly, it seeks to remind the world of the important role the disabled community occupies by celebrating their achievements.
With this considered, in the period that I have supported Louis I can truly say that I haven’t been working, I’ve been learning.
Learning that people, such as Louis, are imbued with a gift that makes them an asset, rather than a burden, to our society.
Currently we are in the midst of a Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People With a Disability. As such, we, as Australians, are in the process of redefining our attitudes towards those in the additional needs community. December 3rd exists as an annual reminder for more Australians to engage with the disabled rather than continue the tradition of polite indifference.
Speaking from personal experience, I can promise you, you won’t be disappointed.
