Wagga locals are changing the narrative around disability by changing the narrator

Wagga locals Heather Hallam and Valkire Silverwolf are getting ready to share their own stories, in their own words, on stage for the first time.

“I’m a little nervous about it,” admits Valkire as she sits at a table at Wagga’s Curious Rabbit Cafe, packing away bricks after the weekly LEGO group.

“This is going to be the first time that I’m going to be getting up in front of people and going, ‘This is who I am, this is what I struggled with’, and it’s going to be a bit of a challenge.”

The women have been working with Relationships Australia and This Is My Brave Australia (TIMBA) to prepare a very personal presentation about their lived experience with disability.

‘IT’S OUR TURN to share our stories’ will debut at the CSU Playhouse next month.

“It’s actually an opportunity to share who we are outside of our disability,” explains Heather.

“Far too often we end up in situations where our identity is just our disability.

“For example, at counselling sessions or doctor’s appointments, or hearing appointments, you are identified by a list of symptoms or a list of problems, rather than the life you’ve lived and the person that you are.”

Valkire gives an enthusiastic nod of agreement.

“You’re a person, you’re not your diagnosis, and in a way that can be hurtful when it’s just our diagnosis that they associate us with,” she says.

“It will be nice to get up there and show people that I’m more than my disability.”

Amanda Beckett, better known as Bex, works with Relationships Australia and the disability royal commission providing free counselling for people with disabilities who have been affected by violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.

“The royal commission finished in December and we thought we would try and host an event that allows people to tell their stories and celebrate with others rather than just telling the royal commission and then having no way of letting other people know how their lives are affected,” Bex says, explaining that their first event with TIMBA in Albury was a great success.

“The people who told their stories just had so much positive feedback from the audience that they really couldn’t believe that people were listening to them and hearing them in that way.

“It was a space for people to come along and not be ‘special’ because they’re disabled, but to be special because of their stories.”

While there will be plenty to celebrate, Bex is wary of words like “inspiring” and “empowering” and says too often there is a tendency to try and portray people with disabilities as inspirational rather than just people living their lives.

“We sometimes use the term ‘inspiration porn’ when there’s that tendency for us to put people up on these pedestals but then we never really immerse ourselves in their experience,” she explains.

“What we want is just a space where we can hear about life from their perspective in their world.”

Valkire is an aspiring poet and will share some of her work at the event.

“It’s absolutely amazing that we’ve been given this chance to finally step up and step out and speak up,” she says.

Heather testified to the disability royal commission, telling of her early struggles with the NDIS and she now hopes to share something of herself and her creative endeavours.

“I’ll be doing spoken word and telling my story straight out, but at the same time presenting some of my artworks, some of my cards that I’ve made, and some of the paper butterflies I make,” she says.

“Those things are a major part of how I cope with the mental illness that has come as a result of the struggles I’ve had.

“So they are essentially a part of me and a part of my identity.”

Both agree that the process of preparing to tell their stories has been a positive experience.

“We’ve heard each other’s stories in the meetings and it’s been shocking in some cases, surprising and hilarious as well at times,” says Heather.

“It can be really challenging too,” adds Valkire.

“But we’re all there for each other and this is a part of the process of sharing who we are.

“It is a daunting thing to do for the first time, but you know that you’ve got others there experiencing it with you and you know you’re not alone.”

IT’S OUR TURN to share our stories is on at the CSU Playhouse from 3 pm on 8 July.

You can find out more or book your tickets here.