This Disability Pride Month, let’s celebrate Australia’s lead – then keep moving

Wheeling through New York City last month on my way to the United Nations, I had one of those moments that hits you like a brick wall. A well-meaning stranger approached me and, with genuine concern, asked if my disability could be “fixed.” 

When I told them I didn’t want to be fixed – that I was actually proud to be disabled – they looked at me like I’d just announced I was from Mars.

That conversation crystallised something I’d been feeling throughout my entire US trip: Australia isn’t just doing disability differently. We’re doing it better. And this Disability Pride Month, that’s worth celebrating.

But here’s the thing about being ahead of the pack – it means you’ve got the best position to keep pushing forward.

How disability policy is still political ‘white noise’ – everywhere, but here

Let me paint you a picture of what I saw at the UN and beyond. In most countries, disability policy is political white noise. Politicians don’t campaign on disability issues because frankly, people don’t vote on them. Disability sits in the “nice to have” basket, somewhere between fixing potholes and updating park benches.

Compare that to Australia, where defending the NDIS is literally a vote winner. Where politicians actually compete over who can better support disabled people. Where disability policy features in election debates and newspaper headlines.

That’s not normal globally – that’s exceptional.

How Australia’s perception of disability sets us apart 

The cultural difference is even starker. 

Throughout my travels, I was constantly confronted by the medical model of disability that still dominates thinking overseas. People genuinely couldn’t understand why I wouldn’t want to be “cured.” The idea that society creates barriers, not disability itself, seemed revolutionary to many Americans I met.

Meanwhile, back home, we’ve largely embraced the social model of disability. We understand that the problem isn’t my wheelchair – it’s the stairs. It’s not my autism – it’s workplaces that refuse to adapt. We get that disabled people aren’t broken; our systems sometimes are.

This shift in thinking has real consequences. It’s why we have the NDIS – a support system so comprehensive that disability advocates from around the world study it like a holy text. 

Nobody else has anything close to it. While other countries are still debating whether disabled people deserve basic support, we are arguing about how to make that support better.

It’s why our workplaces are increasingly accessible, why our politicians actually listen to disabled voices, and why a conversation about disability pride doesn’t sound like science fiction to most Australians.

Celebrating but also recognising the gaps

Now, I’ll be honest, as someone who spends my days campaigning for disability rights in Australia, I’m usually frustrated that we’re still fighting the same fights for incremental progress. Most days, it doesn’t feel like we’re world leaders. It feels like we’re pushing boulders uphill.

And let’s be clear: Australia’s progress hasn’t been spread equally. People with intellectual disabilities still face enormous barriers to genuine inclusion. Those with psychosocial disabilities continue to be misunderstood and marginalised. First Nations people with disabilities face compounded discrimination that we’ve barely begun to address.

Being a leader doesn’t mean slowing down – just the opposite

But here’s where international perspective becomes crucial. Being the global leader in disability rights isn’t a participation trophy – it’s rocket fuel.

When you’re already moving faster than everyone else, you don’t slow down to let them catch up. You use that momentum to go even further. Our success with the NDIS should inspire us to make it truly equitable for all. Our cultural shift should push us to tackle the intersectional barriers that still exist. Our political engagement should drive us to be even more ambitious about inclusion.

This Disability Pride Month, let’s reflect and then act

This Disability Pride Month, let’s absolutely celebrate how far we’ve come. Let’s be proud that when disabled Australians travel overseas, we’re shocked by how far behind other countries are, rather than how far ahead they are.

But let’s also remember that pride isn’t passive. It’s fuel.

We’re not leading the world on disability rights by accident. We’re here because previous generations of disabled people and allies refused to accept “good enough.” They kept pushing, kept demanding better, kept driving forward even when they were already ahead.

The next chapter: Building on Australia’s disability foundation

Now it’s our turn. Australia has built the foundation for genuine disability equality. This Pride Month, let’s celebrate that foundation – then keep building on it.

Because when you’re already leading the charge, the only sensible thing to do is accelerate.