Unbelievably, I found that role. I was employed seven months ago as a casual Parent Advocate at Micah Projects. It means I can work shifts that are 2 or 3 hours long, I can work from home for some of my shifts and it's work that I know how to do.

I can't tell you the joy that I've felt, just to know that I am part of the workforce now.

Reporting my wage to Centrelink for the first time was so incredibly empowering! I have never felt like I was a, quote, 'normal' member of society. Just getting my DSP payment every fortnight is just not enough for me. I actually want to work.

So that brings me to my dilemma, I want to work but can't get to and from work - how is that possible you may ask? Let me tell you my story - a story that I'm using as a learning experience for others out there in a similar position. I will show you what I did so that you can see self-advocacy in action. Maybe you will never be in this position but you might know someone who is…

I lived in Logan for 15 years and in that time I had an accident, which then led me to a diagnosis of lymphedema. As I started to lose my mobility I found and qualified for transport assistance, which in Logan is ‘Transit Care’, through ‘QCSS’ (Queensland Community Support Scheme).

"Queensland community support scheme | Community support | Queensland Government" [External Link]

I moved to Capalaba in the Redlands in 2018 and transitioned from ‘Transit Care’ to ‘Star Community Transport’. I rarely used this support until I started work this year (March 2023).

As my work is in the city, I had to travel 45 minutes to 1 hour each way. As I can't easily go up and down, public transport is not an option for me. My kids have cars but work and study, so they unfortunately can't take me to and from work.

My troubles started with the cars themselves - they have a radio in a fixed position on the right side of the passenger seat. There was only one car without the radio and that's the car I kept requesting. It wasn't always available and so I had some very painful rides that sometimes had me in tears. I received constant bruising from the radio, which was a constant pressure on my right leg.

The drivers felt terrible as they couldn't do anything to help me. I started advocating for myself straight away with the manager at Star Transport. We went back and forth for a few months, constantly being driven in the cars that weren't ok for me until I was told that the commodores, the one car I could fit in without the radio, were being sold - not because there was anything wrong with them, they just had had them for a certain amount of time or kilometres and they have a policy about selling cars when they reach that point.

I was, of course, devastated and was told there were at least three or four other people that also needed that particular car and would be in the same position as me once they were sold.

Once it happened, I had to travel in the cars that put me in physical pain. It was so bad that I was in tears talking to the manager. Finally, things came to a head, and after three to four months of constantly advocating for ‘Star Transport’ to make a reasonable and necessary adjustment, they removed me from their service, saying that their cars no longer met my needs.

Left with no option, I started to look for an alternative. I contacted ‘Transit Care’, only to be told that they could put me on their books but, as I need a particular type of car (they have a rav 4, like a 4 wheel drive) and they can't choose which car comes out, they couldn't accept me as a client.

I then went back to QCSS, to find out what to do next. I kept being asked about the NDIS (the NDIS say that I have a medical condition, not a disability)

QCSS asked me to ring ‘BlueCare’,as I'm funded through them (I receive cleaning once a fortnight and lawn mowing). Unfortunately, ‘Blue Care’ can only assist with social support - to the shops/medical appointments etc, not going to work.

I re-contacted ‘Star Transport’, to ask if my funding could be increased, so that I could get a taxi to and from work, they told me to contact ‘My Aged Care’.

So, I contacted ‘My Aged Care’, only to be told that at age 50, I don't qualify and they can't help me.

By now I had some shifts come up at work that required me to be there physically, my employer paid me to travel to work, I was surprised and thankful but embarrassed at the same time.

I then turned to my disability job provider, ‘APM’, who didn't want to help me (they didn't get me the job) and it was like pulling teeth to get a return Uber fare to get to my next physical shift. They did pay for me to go to work, twice. They said they can't do it all the time and did I know that I was exiting their service in 3 weeks - ah no, no-one told me that…

So, then I started ringing the local member, all the government service lines, all the advocacy services I could think of -

People/organisations that I've contacted about my situation-

• Community access point
• BlueCare (funded for cleaning and lawn mowing, they can provide assistance with shopping/social support, not to go to work)
• My Aged Care - too young
• Star Transport
• Transit Care
• SUFY (advocacy)
• My local member
• The state government
• APM (DES)
• WWDA
• Disability Advocacy support hotline
• Working women Qld

‘Sufy’ (Speaking Up For You) contacted me and I went through their intake but wasn't accepted. ‘Dash’ (Disability Advocacy Support Hotline) did help me by having a 3 way conversation with ‘Star Transport’ and ‘Transit Care’ - unfortunately unsuccessfully.

I was then contacted by ‘Working Women Qld’, who are providing me with legal advice, stating that by not providing me with a reasonable adjustment, they are breaching the QL Human Rights Act and the Disability Discrimination Act.

I re-contacted my local member, who said they have been trying to find a solution to my problem, without success. They suggested I create a submission to parliament, to present my transport issues to the government, as there is an obvious gap in services. I'm in the process of doing that as we speak.

This has been a very difficult situation to deal with. Very stressful and I've had a huge amount of anxiety around my employment and keeping my job.

I'm writing this to bring some awareness to the issue and to show others that you need to persevere, even if it looks like you are getting nowhere. I know that this will eventually be sorted out. A long term solution will be found. Maybe through my situation, others who don't live with a disability will see the struggle.

They will see what we have to go through, the hoops we have to jump through, just to do a simple thing like get to and from work.

Additionally, how would this situation with sporadic and inaccessible disability transport affect the prolific amount of gender-based violence against women, girls and the gender diverse? Women and gender-diverse people with disability need to be able to leave an abusive situation quickly and safely. What is set in place to help to these women in these situations remove themselves, their children and their belongings safely?. How is this allowed to happen?

This real story of what I've been through and what others might also he going through will make a difference, I know it will. I have to believe that…

Change is needed, change is wanted.

The people in power just need to open their hearts and minds - and listen to our voices…

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