How Dylan Alcott gives me hope for change – Phin’s story

22 February 2022

22 Feb 2022

How Dylan Alcott gives me hope for change - Phin's story

“Recently I found myself not wanting to look away from the TV; no it wasn’t the first episode in new Season of MAFS. It was the Australian of the Year announcement. It’s not something I would normally make a point of watching, instead, I will eventually see or hear the announcement in the media later on.

“This time was different. I actually wanted to watch it because Dylan Alcott (a fellow person with a disability) was one of the nominees. We finally have some skin in the game and people with disabilities might be recognised by society. My initial thought was that Dylan did need to win the award, as he was probably going to influence people just by being a sportsman, advocate, philanthropist and podcaster.

And the winner is…

“My thoughts changed when he was announced as Australian of the Year. As a person with a disability, I swelled with pride, thinking it was wonderful a person, proud of his disability, was given such an honour and platform. I wondered what my younger self would think seeing me, a person with a disability, visible and in a prominent role? I think younger me would probably feel validated and seen. Growing up, I rarely saw people with cerebral palsy like me on TV, film or in the media. If I did, it was as a bit part of a character eliciting sympathy for the main protagonist, or cute kids in wheelchairs eliciting donations for charities.

“For Dylan Alcott, lack of disability representation in or on the media growing up was even starker than mine. For Dylan, if he saw people like him, it would be in road safety ads, where somebody drink drives, has a car accident and (in the next scene) they are in tears, believing their life is over. This was not his life, but he believed it would be his life.

My younger self

“As a youngster with a disability, adapting and learning to live life was hard but it was made harder through constant reinforcement from society (sometimes unconsciously) that I was different, that I was less than other people, and being me felt wrong somehow. This meant I rebelled against having a disability. I did everything I could to try to be just like the kids at school, even though I knew I was. I would constantly try to prove myself, trying to show people I was smart like them. I hated having a disability and didn’t want to have anything to do with anyone else who had a disability. I hated myself, and had little self-esteem or self-confidence. I grappled with these thoughts into adulthood, and I suspect will occasionally wrestle with these thoughts for the rest of my life.

“As an adult with a disability in my 40s, I sometimes ponder the imponderable… what would my life be like, if as a child, I had seen people with disabilities working, at school, at sporting clubs, doing art, having relationships, being included in all aspects of society? Would my life be different? How would I feel about myself? I’ll never know but I like to think it would have had a positive impact.

“As a kid, would seeing Dylan Alcott play sport, in the media, have a partner, being a quasi rockstar, and receiving the honour of Australia the Year, make me feel? Unlike people without a disability, I don’t think I would have found him an inspiration just by having a disability, I think I would have found him a good role model, showing me what’s possible in life. Maybe being a role model for people with disabilities is more important than the Australian of the Year honour…

Looking to the future

“As an adult with a disability, I’m excited to see Dylan Alcott be the Australian of the Year because he will highlight our issues and society’s failings toward people with disabilities, emphasise the discrimination we face as well as speak positivity about disability. He will initiate and spark conversations and discussions about people with disabilities. I am realistic enough to know that societal change takes time, but I think Dylan Alcott having the Australian of the Year platform might well incite society to change for the better.”

Phin Meere, Communications Officer, VMCH Community and Disability Services.

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We here at VMCH respectfully acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands on which we gather, and we would like to take a moment to honour the fact that we live on the lands of the oldest civilisation in the world. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and wisdom of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and pay our respects to their elders past, present and emerging.