Freedom Day is upon us, but when will people with disability be back in the driver’s seat?

For those of us living in NSW, new freedoms are being realised for fully vaccinated residents. These new freedoms include allowing people to visit family and friends, dine out in restaurants and cafes, travel around and enjoy entertainment and leisure activities as normal – things that everybody has missed, for months. And those with disability and support requirements are no exception.

Regardless of any restrictions, many of these activities are difficult for some people with support requirements to plan and participate in. As one of those people, I’m well aware of the positive impact that people providing support have on the wellbeing of those being supported, and their ability to participate in parts of life that others in the community can take for granted.

I can see light at the end of the tunnel that is lockdown. However, many uncertainties remain. As we wait to see what happens when things start opening up, I for one am not anticipating any soon-to-be-taken holidays, or even short breaks from my usual, everyday routine. I’m also not confident that plans and changes I had in place prior to the pandemic will resume any time soon.

After sustaining a spinal-cord injury three-and-a-half years ago, something I wanted to do as quickly as possible was to return to driving, and help take the pressure off those who needed to help me to get around. As soon as I was able to, I purchased a car for hand-control conversion. This modification started in early 2020, and was meant to be a relatively short process.

Then COVID – and the resulting lockdowns and restrictions – hit.

Since then, the modifications on my vehicle have remained at a standstill. This one, simple change that will have a sizeable impact on my independence and autonomy has ground to a halt. The hope – however uncertain – that work will resume on my car is one of the reasons I’m cautiously looking forward to restrictions easing. Time will tell how long it takes for me to get back on the road.

Everyone’s ability to have autonomy over their lives has been tested during the pandemic, and I think it’s important to be conscious of those who may feel like this more often than not, due to their ongoing circumstances. As things start to reopen, let’s consider this group. Let’s make sure the right supports and services resume for the people who need them, so that everyone can enjoy living more freely.

I’m grateful that the restrictions we’ve had in place have seen us, for the most part, safely through this pandemic - but also as eager as the rest of Australia to see them lifted. As we look forward to living with more normality in the near future, I sincerely hope that people with disability won’t be left behind.