“I feel like being an aboriginal with a disability is a tough road on both paths where I’m eternally burning to take the fight and let the world recognize the true meanings of what it is to have a disability, to be indigenous and the combination of both. My Aboriginal heritage comes from the Kamillaroi tribe and comes from the Wonnarua tribe. My Pop went through the assimilation process of the stolen generation. The hardships he went through has helped shape the mold of me as a person. Having an acquired disability of my nature of being a c-5,c-6 incomplete quadriplegic so far has been a tough road not being able to function physically how I used to and the stigmatic ignorant discrimination from people that comes with having a disability but a lot of positive motions and new doors have opened where the old ones have closed with great support from my fiancee, family, friends and work colleagues gives me positive perpetual motion to make a difference and to eradicate discrimination, ignorance and ambiguity.”
JAKE BRIGGS WONNARUA AND KAMILAROI MAN, CHAIRPERSON, ABORIGINAL DISABILITY NETWORK NSW
