ADHD Awareness Month 2024

Today Abigail spoke on a motion celebrating ADHD Awareness Month, and called out some of the neuro-ableist rhetoric that continues to permeate discussions in Parliament and in broader society.

Abigail said:

I support the motion and thank the Hon. Taylor Martin for bringing it to the House today. As someone else who is neurodiverse in this place, I welcome him to the club. It was incredible to listen to him speak about it because there is a journey to go on. There are absolutely chemical reasons for the way that we all think. We now have information and research coming out every day in relation to all sorts of neurodiversity. The research on people with autism is fascinating. But, fundamentally, it is not a medical issue in its entirety; it is also about the way that people think. Some of my bestest, most favourite people in the world are neurodiverse, whether it be ADHD or autism. I would not want us to get caught up in the medical model of disability.

Most of the obstacles and issues that neurodiverse people face in society are caused by society being intolerant and society building those obstacles around them. To put a positive spin on it, we do call it a disability but I am incredibly proud to be neurodiverse. ADHD Awareness Month is celebrated every year in October. Like many other awareness‑raising months, it stands to not only educate the broader community about ADHD but also demand bolder action from governments to improve the lives of people with ADHD, and create a society that not only recognises but values the inherent worth of every individual, regardless of their neurological differences. The report referenced in the motion is from 2019.

Looking at some more recent estimates, this year ADHD Australia and the ADHD Foundation found that around one in 20, or over 1.25 million, Australians live with ADHD, although we think that does not come close to fully accounting for the unknown number of people who remain undiagnosed for their entire lives. We have a long way to go to remove the barriers that prevent people with ADHD receiving assessments, diagnoses, health care and support, and then accessing inclusive education and employment opportunities and genuinely thriving in our society. We need fundamental, transformational change to how we think about people with neurodiversity, in particular. A truly inclusive and successful society is one that celebrates human difference and diversity and encourages all individuals to thrive with the supports they need to do so.

Read the full debate in Hansard here.

13 November 2024

A UNIVERSAL WELLBEING PAYMENT FOR NSW

No matter who you are or what you do, everyone has the right to share in the wellbeing of our country.

But at the moment the essentials so many of us need – a place to call home, food on the table, and everyday essentials like electricity, internet, medicine and water – are simply out of reach.

Instead of supporting us, our government is choosing to prop up huge corporations with massive subsidies, and to give away our collective wealth through record tax cuts for the wealthy. Meanwhile, the rest of us are left to live paycheck to paycheck or trapped in the dehumanising bureaucracy of our existing welfare system.

Now, in the midst of a pandemic, and following quickly on the heels of the bushfire crisis, more of us than ever before are experiencing what it’s like to lose our jobs, be without a home, or worry about where the food for our next meal will come from.

It’s time for us to choose to prioritise the wellbeing of everyone.

And that’s exactly what the Universal Wellbeing Payment will do.

It’s a regular payment made to each of us to ensure our minimum standard of wellbeing. No means testing, no bureaucracy, no strings attached.

It’s the amount you’re owed simply for being a participant in our society.

It means you are free to live your life and contribute to society as you see fit, whether you’re a carer, an artist, a student, a parent, an entrepreneur – you can get on with what you need to do, knowing that you will always be supported regardless of your income.

It means that we’re choosing to structure our economy for the benefit of all of us, not using our collective wealth to prop up the interests of big business and the wealthy few.

It means you will always have what you need to live a good life, no matter what.

The Universal Wellbeing Payment is for everyone. Help us make it happen.

For more information, head to universalwellbeingpayment.com.au

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ADHD Awareness Month 2024

A UNIVERSAL WELLBEING PAYMENT FOR NSW

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