Why Ali France’s election is a big deal for Australians with disability

Ali France’s election to parliament following her shock defeat of former Liberal leader Peter Dutton at the recent Australian federal election has generated a lot of excitement amongst Australia’s disability community. Much of this excitement comes down to the fact that Ms France’s election means greater representation in parliament for those of us with disability.

There are 5.5 million Australians with disability, accounting for 20 per cent of the Australian population. Yet, we make up less than one per cent of the Australian Parliament. In addition to Ms France, the only other politician known to have a disability who is currently serving in the federal parliament is Greens senator Jordan Steele-John, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair.

It’s the additional visible presence that Ms France, who has a prosthetic leg and uses a wheelchair, will bring to parliament that will be so powerful, according to disability advocate Elly Desmarchelier. “It’s about being seen,” Ms Desmarchelier says. "It's in little girls being able to look up at the TV and see a disabled woman in parliament and it being a totally normal thing."

Representation in parliament goes far beyond just having someone that we can identify with. It’s Ms France’s lived experience with disability that offers the disability community the greatest hope in having our voices and concerns heard. Here is someone who, through her own lived experience, understands the discrimination and challenges that people with disability face every day in every aspect of their lives.

Ms France also goes into parliament having been a participant of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), which Nic Avery from the NDIS advocacy organisation Every Australian Counts says will be invaluable in highlighting the perspectives of people with disability and coming direct from someone within the government who has experienced the barriers faced by the disability community.

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