Disability experience brings motivation and empathy

The power of motivation and empathy through personal experience

Firsthand experience with his son’s conditions and his own physical challenges have made Graham acutely aware of the issues people with disability can face. 

His understanding, resilience and positive attitude also make a huge difference to those he interacts with.   

"Relating with my son, relating to his conditions, you can empathise with people," he told APM Ambassador and Australian Paralympic star Ellie Cole.

"You can talk to people, and you can have conversations — with the individuals, parents or a younger cohort — you can relate, you can understand what the triggers are.”  

Graham is a Community Engagement Consultant at APM, for the Inner West, Western Sydney and the MacArthur region. 

Choosing to change career and move into this field later in life, was largely due to his personal experience, especially in relation to his son. 

“As I said to my son, he's actually the reason. He's the motivation why I do what I do and why I'm passionate about it, because I know how hard it is.” 

After decades of being fit and athletic, Graham was told by his doctor that his hip problems would stop him from walking within six months. 

A diagnosis he wasn’t prepared to accept. 

“I was a bit like, hold my beer. I'm going to prove you wrong. And so I did.” 

His determination proved the doctor wrong, but also gave him perspective. 

“There are people in the world who are a lot worse off than what I have. People have a lot more challenges, conditions, and barriers they face every day.” 

However, Graham finds people engage more, when they can see his physical challenges and realise he can relate to them.  

“Yeah, when they realise, hey, yeah, you actually do understand them. You know, you have an outlook, you can relate to people.”  

He’s also active in the community, advocating for disability awareness, with a focus on employment and education. 

“It's liaising with community groups, RTOs, councils, anybody and everybody who deals with disability across, effectively Western Sydney.” 

And it’s rewarding work. 

“Seeing the reactions from people when they're able to complete a task, or someone says yes to a person who has had doors shut in their face for the majority of their life…you see that reaction on their face, you see that smile and that gleam… it makes it worthwhile.” 

Ellie Cole’s Couch

In this incredible series, Ellie sat down with team members from across APM to discuss how their own experience with disability motivates and inspires them to support people with disability.