Audio interview: Women with Disabilities Victoria

Lisa

Today, I’ll be talking with Nadia Mattiazzo, the CEO of Women with Disabilities Victoria.  We’ll be talking about the respectful and inclusive work of Women with Disabilities Victoria. How they work with the community organisations and government departments and legislation in order to create a more accessible and inclusive environment. How they work with health services and practitioners to uphold the rights of women and girls with disabilities, while supporting their accessibility and consciously considering them as dignified individuals — experts in their own health, bodies, needs and strengths.

Can you tell me a little bit about Women with Disabilities, particularly your work in promoting the human rights of Women with Disabilities?

Nadia

So, Women with Disabilities Victoria is, as is an organisation led by women with disabilities for women with disabilities. Our goal really is real social and economic inclusion for women with disabilities in Victoria. We want to envision a world where all women are respected and can fully participate and experience life.

Lisa

Thank you.

Do you think there are specific human rights concerns for girls and women with disabilities due to their social position in society?

Nadia

Really, there's a lot of things that women with disabilities experience that I guess impact on their capacity to participate socially, economically, educationally and politically, which all impact on, really, their human rights. It can be based on their age, their race, their gender, sexual orientation, as well as disability. Often there is, women with disabilities are ignored around government legislation and not necessarily recognised in community organisations and services in terms of access.

On a lot of measures of social and economic, I guess, access we can experience greater discrimination than other women and, also men with disability. Lacking adequate health care access, not only for ourselves but also children, particularly when health centres fail to be accessible or to be inclusive. Women with disabilities experience higher rates of violence, both from carers, family members and other people, and that often impacts on our capacity to interact in the community because women with disabilities become isolated.

Many, many areas I guess Lisa.

Lisa

Thank you.

The right to be safe is a basic human right. How do you define safety? Physical safety emotional safe safety?

Nadia

Safety really is a feeling of not having to worry about well-being, whether it be physical, emotional, psychological, etc. It’s knowing that a situation, however difficult it is, is manageable, and will not result in kind of lasting harm. And that there is support from others who stand alongside us. And that's really important.

Lisa

How and to whom do you advocate for issues of concern for women and girls with a disability? Do you do this on a state, federal or international level?

Nadia

Firstly, let me start by saying we do this. We are state organization and so we really do a lot of work within the state-based space. But we also fortunately have the ear of a lot of national, I guess, opportunities to do this work. For instance, at a national level, we're involved with the NDIA, the National Disability Insurance Agency. We meet regularly with the stakeholder engagement people. At a state level, we meet with the Department of Families Fairness and Housing, Office for Women and women's health organisations, service providers where we might provide training to them, and other community organisations.

Lisa

Given the important role of doctors and other health practitioners, given the important role that they play in the lives of women and girls with disability, are they a community you advocate, too?

Nadia

Yes, health practitioners are important for women and girls with disabilities. They really ensure health provision which is inclusive and responsible. WDV advocates to all practitioners in the health sector, from medical practitioners, allied health professionals, health executives and administrative staff, as they also contribute to health care, which promotes and upholds the rights of women and girls with disabilities to be treated with dignity and to receive quality and accessible services.

Lisa

How can health practitioners and other professionals who work with people with a disability better support and promote the human rights of women and girls with a disability?

Nadia

Listening to what women with disabilities say and being curious about their individual circumstances as well as the systemic barriers they experience due to disability. Remember that each woman or girl with a disability is really an individual, experiencing unique life circumstances and bringing specific strengths to her encounter with health providers. Consider the many factors impacting on each woman or girl's health when services are offered. Accessibility is everyone's business, and all staff of health services can become aware of the work to remove physical, attitudinal and communicational barriers, limiting women's access to health services.

Create partnerships with women and girls with disabilities so you can work together to promote each woman or girl's health. Listen to their expertise in their lives and bodies, and draw on their strengths. Value women's voices in all aspects of health provision, leadership and policy. Women with disabilities have much to contribute as workers, community members, and in leadership positions — not just as service users.

Lisa

Excellent answer. Thank you.

A common concern for people with a disability is that other people make decisions for and about us. What do you think can be done to combat that for women?

Nadia

Oh, Lisa, so many things. Actively engage women in conversation. Listen to what they say. I know I'm repeating things, but you know it's clear that it needs to be more clearly said and more often said. Clarify their wishes through empathetic questions, communicate and provide information in ways which are accessible for each woman and girl with a disability. Recognise the impact of past trauma for women with disabilities and create environments which promote emotional and physical safety and autonomy. Recognise the existence of differences in views between women and their family members, and ensure that women themselves are supported to make decisions.

It's vitally important that all these things are considered. Just because one woman with a disability and what that particular woman's needs might be, it doesn't mean that the next person and the next woman with a disability, or girl with a disability, that you encounter as a health professional is going to need the same things and want the same things in the same way. It's really, really important to think about all these things Lisa.

Lisa

One last one. How can health practitioners and other professionals who work with people with a disability better support and promote the human rights of women and girls with disabilities?

Nadia

I think being champions, I think having an understanding of every woman and girl with a disabilities right to access health services, to make access those health services in a, I'm going to say, accessible, again, way and then share that information with colleagues. Encourage other people within the workplace to think about inclusion.

If you are trying to make something accessible, ask women with disabilities to be involved in that process. Acknowledge their expertise by paying them. Don't just ask women with disabilities, or girls with disabilities, to be volunteers all the time. Pay them for their expertise. Acknowledge that they too have expertise that is invaluable. I think that's the most important thing, really.

Lisa

Thank you very much. That's all the questions that I have.

Nadia

It's a really, I guess, important topic, Lisa. We have a number of fact sheets on our webpage that talk about access to health services, so if people are interested.

Lisa

Thank you. That's very important too. So, thank you very much.

Nadia

Thanks, Lisa.