Disabilities celebrated in UN day recognition

BLINDNESS, profound deafness in his right ear and epilepsy haven’t stopped Capt Will Anderson, who suffered a significant peacetime accident in 1994.

In a moving speech at Tobruk Barracks Officers Mess (Puckapunyal) marking United Nations’ International Day of People with a disability late last year, he talked of the opportunities available to those who suffer a disability.

“When we serve in the ADF, regardless of what our job is, we know about the risks,” he said.

“In the ADF, injuries and deaths do occur during operations and also during peacetime training.

If a member of the ADF is injured there are still positions available for them to fill.”

Capt Anderson now works as a volunteer in the State Emergency Service, is employed as a Defence civilian and is one of the founding members and now the National Vice President of the Injured Service Persons Association.

“As I soon discovered after I was seriously injured, friendship with those I served with is so important,” he said.

“It is impossible to know what other people are going through, however our friendship should last forever.”

Defence also launched the new Disability Management Strategy 2004-2007, which has been developed with the aim of providing all Defence personnel with support for managing disability issues in the workplace.