Get Real: Talking mental health & disability
Get Real presents frank and fearless conversations about mental health and disability, including people with lived experience, frontline workers in the sector, as well as policymakers and advocates. Get Real is produced and hosted by Emily Webb and co-hosted by Karenza Louis-Smith on behalf of ermha365 Complex Mental Health and Disability Services provider (https://www.ermha.org/).
Get Real: Talking mental health & disability
Inclusive Leadership: Nothing about us, without us with Andrew Radford
Andrew Radford lives in New South Wales and is a long-time advocate for people with intellectual disability and autism.
Andrew himself has autism and a mild intellectual disability and has recently taken his advocacy to the next level with his appointment to the board of The Disability Trust. The trust is not-for-profit registered NDIS provider of supports and services and last year it celebrated its 50 years!
The Disability Trust has been part of Andrew’s life for more than 20 years in many ways, including education and employment support.
Andrew was also a part of the ABC series The Assembly where one of Australia's most renowned interviewers, Leigh Sales, mentors Autistic journalism students as they learn their craft and interview well known Australian personalities.
Andrew is making history with The Disability Trust, which is the first major not-for-profit organisation in Australia to appoint a person with an intellectual disability to its Board.
More info:
VALID - the Victorian peak advocacy organisation for adults with intellectual disability.
The Assembly (ABC)
Andrew Radford Joins TDT Board
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We recognise their strength, courage and unique perspective as a vital contribution to this podcast so we can learn, grow and achieve better outcomes together. Welcome to Get Real talking mental health and disability. I'm Emily Webb. I'm really looking forward to the conversation with our guest for this episode. I'm really looking forward to the conversation with our guest for this episode.
Speaker 1:Andrew Bradford lives in New South Wales and is a long-time advocate for people with intellectual disability and autism. Andrew himself has autism and a mild intellectual disability and has recently taken his advocacy to the next level with his appointment to the board of the Disability Trust. The Trust is a not-for-profit, registered NDIS provider of supports and services and last year it celebrated 50 years. The Disability Trust has been part of Andrew's life for more than 20 years in many ways, including education and employment support. Andrew is making history with the Disability Trust, which is the first major not-for-profit organisation in Australia to appoint a person with an intellectual disability to its board. Welcome, andrew. Thank you for joining us on Get Real. Thank you for having me, emily. To start with, andrew, congratulations on all your achievements which we are going to be talking about, but I want to go back to what your experience was like, I guess growing up with autism and a mild intellectual disability because you are so involved in advocacy in this space.
Speaker 2:So growing up, I grew up in Sydney and I moved to Batemans Bay on the south coast in 2000. Growing up was difficult. I didn't have a lot of friends and things like that, and it was always like people saying you're broken and not being very nice. But I always look at the positives in life and now that I'm an advocate, I have a really supportive family behind me, which is great, and I was always upset with what people did and I had some really supportive teachers as well and I was like always in the library doing things. So that's probably why I got the job at the library and they always supported me and stopped the kids from being mean to me and it wasn't a really nice experience.
Speaker 1:How did the Disability Trust come into your life? What point were you at when you started to get some support from them?
Speaker 2:So when I moved to Batemans Bay I did a few TAFE courses and they told me about the Disability Trust. And then the Disability Trust offered all the supports like in my daily life and on the job, support with support workers, and they've given me the best life possible Since 2000,. Being with the Disability Trust, my life really took off for the best. So some of the things that I got to do was sort of help me with my employment in the library, do a lot of things because of how good the Disability Trust and WorkAbility is supporting me. Like with the right support, that's right behind you. Workability helped me get my job and they supported me to have my job, for where I am now and to get all my things. I was able to buy my own home, get a nice car.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it sounds really good. And now you mentioned you work in a library. Now, I love libraries and I wanted to be a librarian like way back when. So how did you come to get a job in the library and what do you do there? So how did you come to get a job in?
Speaker 2:the library and what do you do there? So WorkAbility approached the library and asked if I'd like to have a job there. I did a traineeship in Certificate 2 and 3. What I do there is I put the books back on the shelves.
Speaker 1:Sounds like a great job if you love books and you're around books all the time. Libraries are places where it's not just about books, is it's like about a lot of things that's right, you can.
Speaker 2:You can do a lot of things at life. There's like activities to see, there's author talks and um. They're not like places we have to be quiet anymore yeah, I know there's no shushing by the librarians.
Speaker 1:They're real hubs, aren't they?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Now you also have. You're quite entrepreneurial. Tell me about your other business.
Speaker 2:So the Disability Trust helped me with it. So every Thursday I go to the Batemans Bay office and clean the fleet cars down there for them and I also. It's called Spectrum Detailing and I also have a few clients as well that I wash their cars for, but they have like a background in disabilities, like they've got children with disabilities or support workers and things like that.
Speaker 1:So how important is it to you that you've been able to do this, but also show other people that they can do this too. Like, how does that?
Speaker 2:feel. It feels amazing because if you put a goal or a mind to something, you can do it, and I was lucky in 2011 to get my first home.
Speaker 1:That's incredible. And how did you go about doing that? Like did you sort of learn about saving money? Or like did you get some support with how to do those?
Speaker 2:so I got support from my family to help me with my own home because they were worried what would happen when? Not here anymore and have your own home is really good and and then I can have like supports. Come, come into my home and my day-to-day living skills and learn all those sort of things and like be independent.
Speaker 1:And what are some of the things that you can now do independent at home that you're really proud of?
Speaker 2:So last weekend one of my good friends came and visited me and we made dinner together in my own home.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. What did you cook?
Speaker 2:So we cooked tacos. I love tacos. That's awesome what?
Speaker 1:did you cook? So we cooked tacos. I love tacos. That sounds awesome that sounds so good.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that was amazing.
Speaker 1:Now you are a pretty active and passionate advocate and you do take part in advocacy activities and you advocate for yourself. So what does self-advocacy mean to you, like? What does it look like when you're doing that for yourself? So what does self-advocacy mean to you, like? What does it look like when you're doing that for yourself?
Speaker 2:So self-advocacy means I'm standing up for myself and having my voice heard.
Speaker 1:It sounds like there were times where you had to do it when you were growing up. What are some of the examples in recent years or as an adult where you've had to do that?
Speaker 2:So a situation like in a workplace where they'll just dream against me, and I went and spoke to people about it and got some help.
Speaker 1:What does that feel like when people don't see who you are?
Speaker 2:They don't treat you with respect and then they sometimes talk to you like a two-year-old. As soon as you tell them you've got an intellectual disability and autism. As soon as they hear the intellectual disability part, then it just goes like a two-year-old.
Speaker 1:Tell me about some of the things that you've done. Like I understand that you've been going to like a conference down in Victoria.
Speaker 2:Yes, that's correct. Can you tell me?
Speaker 1:about what Valid is and how you got involved with them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so Valid Conference in Geelong I like to go there every year and it's about talking about our rights and it's the biggest conference in Australia for people with an intellectual disability and I like to go down there. We all get together, we talk about issues relating to what we need to fix and things like that, and when I was with the Wollongong Self-Asset Group, we went down every year.
Speaker 1:What are some of the things that really still need to change for people with intellectual disability?
Speaker 2:So what I want to happen is I want them to treat us with respect and make sure that our voices are heard and like be equal as everyone else.
Speaker 1:And have you found that, through you know the jobs that you've done and your education, do you feel that you're helping to break down some of those barriers that people might have?
Speaker 2:Yes, Just a few weeks ago I was speaking at an event and everyone thought they couldn't have jobs. But they can and it was really good, and then I told them my story and that was really good and we got someone from the library to speak as well there which was great and say everyone's welcome at the library and things like that. It's a really welcoming place now.
Speaker 1:How does it make you feel when you're able to show people not just tell them, show them that you can have a job, you can like have a career, you can really do things you want to do. It feels amazing. Now I really want to talk to you about the Assembly, this amazing program that the ABC ran, which was so cool. A group of people were chosen to basically train as journalists and interview some really famous people. So was it? People with autism?
Speaker 2:Yes, it was a group of autistic journalists and we were mentored by Leigh Sales and Leigh Sales was always a hero of mine and I got to meet her and it was just such an amazing experience to be selected to be on this TV show and interview some very high-profile people.
Speaker 1:Well, you've learnt from the best. I tell you You're very lucky. I was yeah, so tell me when you were trying like you were applying to be on the assembly and trying out, what did you have to do?
Speaker 2:So what happened was there was an interview process, so you apply for it and then there might be another meeting after just to ask you a few more questions. I think it was about four meetings and on the last one you had to do like a video and sort of interview and then they told you in a few weeks if you were selected. And I got selected and I was so excited.
Speaker 1:I would have been too. My gosh, it wasn't just being selected, you actually had some journalism training. So what did you learn on the journalism training?
Speaker 2:Well with the Macquarie University. So we learned on the radio, we learned how to ask questions and then we also did TV parts and we did like Vox Pops and those sort of things. And then Lee Sales would, before we did our big interview, she'd look at our questions. If we had to change them or anything, she was there to mentor us, to help us, which was wonderful.
Speaker 1:I mean it's amazing, there was some of the most famous people you can imagine like that you interviewed. Tell me who were some of the people you interviewed.
Speaker 2:So we interviewed the Prime Minister, Nancy Albanese, Sam Neill, Hamish Blake, Delta Goodrum.
Speaker 1:That's seriously pretty.
Speaker 2:Quite a few yes. Adam Goodes was another one. Yes.
Speaker 1:I love Adam Goodes Amazing.
Speaker 2:Yes, he was absolutely amazing. Yeah, he was great.
Speaker 1:So, for people who may not have seen the Assembly, you're talking to the Prime Minister, anthony Albanese. What was the thing that you most wanted to ask him and what did you ask him?
Speaker 2:So one of the questions I got to ask him was do you see having more people with disabilities in politics? And he said he'd look into it. And then, after the assembly, we all offered an internship for six weeks with the ABC and I did mine in Canberra and I got to meet the Prime Minister again when he was doing Insiders.
Speaker 1:Wow, so you're kind of on pretty good terms with the Prime Minister now.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, wow, that's right.
Speaker 1:What did you ask Delta Goodrum? I love Delta, she's amazing.
Speaker 2:I asked Delta what sort of car she had.
Speaker 1:And what was her answer?
Speaker 2:It was a Porsche.
Speaker 1:Oh damn, have you got a Porsche, Andrew?
Speaker 2:No, I don't have a Porsche. I've just got an S36 Commodore wagon because I've got a little dog.
Speaker 1:Okay, tell me about your little dog. What kind of dog is it?
Speaker 2:She's a Tenterfield Terrier which looks like a mini foxy and her name's Sadie after Mercedes-Benz, the car, and she's my best friend.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, I love it. So I'm guessing that you're quite interested in cars.
Speaker 2:Yes, they're like one of my passions.
Speaker 1:Okay, and so what does this passion look like? Do you have a garage full of cars, or do you just like to go to car shows? How does that look?
Speaker 2:I love going to car shows and also love really nice cars, like one of my favourite cars was Mercedes-Benz and things like that, so that's really nice.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So what did you say to Delta when she said she had a Porsche?
Speaker 2:I said it was a very nice car. What sort?
Speaker 1:of car do you have, Emily? Do you know what this is so embarrassing? I've got like an old Camry. It just keeps going and going.
Speaker 2:They'll go forever. They'll go forever.
Speaker 1:It's got a second-hand transmission in it now, but I think I'm going to finally try and get a new car. Now this is the big stuff. This is big news, not that all the other stuff isn't. You have recently been appointed as a director to the board of the Disability Trust. Now that is huge. It's a very big achievement.
Speaker 2:It means a lot to me to be on the board of the Disability Trust and to be one of the very first in Australia for this to happen. Like to see the change has been like really amazing.
Speaker 1:So what did you think when you were approached, and how did it happen that you were approached about being on the board?
Speaker 2:So Carol Berry approached me last year and said I'd like to have a meeting with you, andrew, up in Wollongong. So I went and saw her and she said that we're thinking of appointing someone to the board and she wasn't sure how it was going to do it. Then she said the board liked me and I did a big talk at one of their big planning days last year it was last August and I spoke about my life and what I do and all that and they really really liked me and I started in February this year.
Speaker 1:So what was your first board meeting like?
Speaker 2:It was absolutely amazing.
Speaker 1:So tell me, from the start to the finish, did you wear a suit? Were you all? A bit nervous Like tell me all about it.
Speaker 2:I was a little bit nervous at first and it went really fast. But I felt really amazed, like some of the things we were talking about.
Speaker 1:I know that you can't disclose what you were talking about because it's top secret, but well, it's in confidence. But what are the things that you're learning? What did you learn from that first board meeting? I?
Speaker 2:thought it was like amazing, just talking about all the different topics that come up.
Speaker 1:How important is it for you, as a person with lived experience, to actually be sitting. You're at the table, which is good, because for a long time things have been done without the input of people with disability or people with autism. It's changing, but like why is that so important to you?
Speaker 2:I think it's really important to hear our perspective and our lived experience at the board level.
Speaker 1:Because I guess you've probably had experience, have you maybe in your childhood or over the years, where you weren't asked? You know? No one asked you what you wanted or if this was right for you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, everyone used to make decisions for you and it was like no, you can't do that or you can't do this. And now it's like, yes, we can. We have the same rights as everyone else. And one thing I always like to say is nothing about us without us and our time to shine.
Speaker 1:I love that. This is an amazing opportunity and you know people will notice this. You know you've had some news coverage. You've got some stories on the TBT website. I mean, what do you want to achieve? People have come to you because you've got that expertise in self-advocacy.
Speaker 2:I would just like to make sure everyone, like with lived experience, always gets involved with what matters to them.
Speaker 1:So what have you learnt or discovered from being with other people with lived experience on that board?
Speaker 2:I feel it's very inclusive and very empowering and things. I love it.
Speaker 1:What's most important to you at the moment? What are some of the things you really want to work on while you're a board member and also in your daily life?
Speaker 2:Listen to us about what we say and make sure that our voices are heard.
Speaker 1:And is there anything, in particular for people with autism or people with intellectual disability, you feel really needs to change? What's something that you think you can really try and make happen?
Speaker 2:I try to make sure there's always people with disabilities represented in all levels of management and like government would be amazing. That's what I like to see. No one makes decisions for us. We make decisions about our lives ourselves.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. I feel like you're going to really make some amazing inroads into that.
Speaker 2:Oh, thank you.
Speaker 1:So since the assembly because it was very popular have you been recognised in public after appearing in the assembly?
Speaker 2:I have yes, when I did my internship in Canberra, everyone said, oh, you're Andrew from the assembly and things like that, and like where I like in our local community everyone seems to know assembly and things like that and like where I like in our local community everyone seems to know me and things like that, and thank you so much for the representation. And then they say, oh, we have a relative with autism. Or they say, oh, we understand more now and things like that, so it was really good.
Speaker 1:And now you've had that amazing experience and you've had some journalism training, you've done an internship. You know you've done things for the radio. Do you want to work as a journalist?
Speaker 2:I'd like to be a journalist with the ABC, because the ABC were really, really inclusive with us and I really liked how they did things.
Speaker 1:Is there anything, andrew, that I haven't asked, that you'd like to say to people listening?
Speaker 2:haven't asked that you'd like to say to people listening. One thing I'd like to say is I think people with disabilities can always do anything anyone else can do, but we might need more support and time to do it and nothing about us without us and our time to shine.
Speaker 1:Yes, I cannot hear that enough, andrew, I just want to say a huge thank you for joining me on Get Real and talking about all your amazing experiences, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what you do with journalism and on the Disability Trust Board. So thank you so much for your time.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much for having me, emily. It's been great You've been listening to Get Real talking mental health and disability, brought to you by the team at Irma 365. Get Real is produced and presented by Emily Webb with Corenza Louis-Smith and special guests. Thanks for listening and we'll see you next time.
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