Inclusion should be everyday

At this time of drought and bushfires, we have come together as Australians to support each other. But what we do in a time of crisis should be every day. Inclusion should be everyday.

Drought, bushfires and floods, these natural events don’t discriminate about who they affect. So why should we as humans?

We need to look at how we can make the life of other people one of quality and one of inclusion every day, not just in times of crisis and turmoil.

We need to look at people’s ability rather than their disability. We need to encourage the abilities and talents and skills of all Australians.

I’m blind, but there’s a lot of people that pretend they’re blind. They don’t really see the world as it is. They pretend they can’t see it. People would bake a cake to go and raise money for a homeless person, but on their way they’d pass ten homeless people.

I sometimes say that becoming blind actually gave me vision. It made me look at things differently.

Let’s stop being blind. We need to get away from the attitude ‘I’m alright Jack, somebody else can look after it’.

Let’s open our eyes and our hearts, our ears, our minds.

Let’s just be inclusive.

This blog is based on an address Steve Widders gave on Australia Day 2020. Steve, a descendent of the Anawan people of northern NSW, is an Inclusion Projects Officer at CID and an Australia Day Ambassador.

Find out more

• Australia Day – what better time to talk about inclusion?, also from Steve’s Australia Day address
• Our bushfire information guide