Carmelo's Story

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Living with a disability is fairly hard, well maybe not hard but when you want things or try to find things, it's not easy. You're always waiting on things, waiting for people to get back to you.

I've visited Italy with my family - that's where they come from, but I've lived in Australia all my life so it's my home. My family speaks a mixture of English and Italian. My Mum and step-Dad don't speak English all that well. I was OK until I was about 5½ or 6. I was walking and everything but then I went downhill and had to have 'shunts' put in my head. I went to a School for Specific Purpose at Camperdown, where the old kids' hospital was. I looked after myself when I got home from school because my Mum went to work. When I needed services I had to get on the phone and fix it up myself. But the school helped as well. They wanted me to go to a regular school for the last year or two of school. I said "why now?" I mean, why not at the beginning? They said I'd get a better education and it'd be good for me.

I have always wanted to work for Qantas. I've done some work experience for them and that was great. I've done a lot of work experience but I can't get real work. Between my ethnic background and my disability it's probably more my disability that causes barriers. Employers don't always know what to do. I've ended up in the Industrial Relations Court for unfair dismissal but it was an unsatisfactory outcome.

I've been to quite a few employment services. They haven't really helped me and I have had to do it all myself. I'd like to work with people with disabilities to support them to get jobs and teach employers to understand and support the needs of people with disability. I know it is different for people with disabilities but employers should be more helpful. Employers need to know more about how to work with people with disabilities. They should be more flexible and open. They need to learn more, have more training about how to deal with people with disabilities. We're all people after all.

My week is spent attending disability activity groups and a respite care centre. I go out with my carer nearly every week to play ten-pin bowls. One of my favorite things is going to clubs having dinner and listening to music. I don't always want to socialise just with people with disabilities.

The thing that's good about living in Australia is that things are accessible. You can get out there and do things. Australia has reasonable services for people with disabilities. I've been to Italy, where my parents come from, and things are not very accessible. It's a very ancient country so it's really hard for me to get around.

I've never really experienced racism; it's more about people's attitude to my disability. When I go to nightclubs people steer clear of me. When I go with my parents and they go out to smoke or play the pokies, I want to stay and listen to the music. I sit there alone and no-one comes up and says hello or anything. You feel left out; you're left there sitting on your own. I've got used to it.

It's been16 years since I've left school and there have been changes in some way in the way disability services operate. Unemployment is still an issue. You wake up thinking what'll I do today? It's not always easy to get someone to do something with you, so you end up doing things on your own.

Carmelo