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CID board member strikes again, this time at the UN
Congratulations are in order! Council for Intellectual Disability Board Member Robert Strike has been selected to attend high level talks on issues affecting people with disability at the United Nations in New York in June.
The colourful human rights advocate is well known in the disability sector, and both his professional and life experience make him an obvious choice to represent the interests of Australian people with disability.
As well as being a Board Member at NSW CID he is a member of our Speak Out Reach Out group, and President of the Board of Self Advocacy Sydney, an organisation he started in 1986.
He also works at the Intellectual Disability Rights Service, has been a strong advocate for the closure of institutions for people with disability, and is the proud father of three grown up children.
So the question is, is New York ready for the Striker?
Robert’s most frequent reply to being asked what he’s up to is “causing trouble” and he now has a platform to do this on a global scale.
Celebrating the news of his selection last week Robert smiled and said: “I have a lot to teach New York.”
His passion is educating people about the rights of people with disabilities and helping people to speak up for themselves, and he is looking forward to bringing this passion to the international forum provided by the UN. He will attend the UN Conference of State Parties to the Convention on Rights of Persons (CoSP) talks, from June 13-15. The focus of this year’s CoSP is on inclusion and full participation.
“Inclusion is about being treated as an equal,” Robert said.
“People need to be included in making their own decisions, advising government, influencing the media and being part of the community.”
Equally important will be a focus on learning what other disability advocates and the UN are doing and bringing their knowledge and approaches back to Australia to share with the disability sector and policy makers.
