HAVING lived with a disability almost her entire life, Horsham resident Bernie O'Shannessy knows all too well the challenges that regional women living with disabilities face.
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Ms O'Shannessy contracted a spinal infection at the age of seven which left her paralysed from the neck down.
"I was sent off to the Royal Children's Hospital and they didn't think I'd survive to ambulance trip to Melbourne," she said.
"Because it was back in 1967, and because it wasn't polio, the doctors didn't know what to do. Once I started to get the movement back, they didn't do any intensive physio so that's why I've been left with cerebral palsy-like movement.
"That was at a time when disability was hidden away too. It was even suggested to my mother that she should put me in a home so she didn't have to look after me. That was the attitude of the time. Back then there was no money to support people with disabilities too."
She said attitudes towards people living with a disability had changed over time for the better, but there was still work to do.
"Disability is more visible now. You see more people with disabilities in the media and out and about, so it's not as hidden. People now also have more of an idea of how to approach somebody with a disability," she said.
"In the past, people weren't sure how to talk to somebody with a disability or even know what to say, so it's a lot more known now."
Ms O'Shannessy lives independently, and attends occupation therapy and physiotherapy sessions. She said women living with disabilities faced a wide-facet of challenges, especially living in regional areas.
"A lot of women living with a disability don't have a choice of whether their physio or doctor is a man or woman if they wanted to choose. There is a lack of choice because there are limited services," she said.
Ms O'Shannessy said a challenge she faced was surpassing expectations people had of her.
"When I walk into a room, people treat me differently and fuss over me. Whereas, if I was already sitting in the room, people would have a different attitude and see me as able-bodied," she said.
"A lot of people also assume that if you have a physical disability that you also have an intellectual disability. I have found that over the years, I have adapted to coming on very strong to people to prove that I don't have an intellectual disability rather than have them speak down at me.
"People might say, 'you've done well considering', and I always know that they mean. They are saying that considering I have a disability I have done well.
"They should be looking at the person first and not the disability. People should treat people with a disability like they would anyone else. If they are with a carer, then talk to the person not their carer - that's a really big one."
Related: Wimmera women advocate for balance
She said another challenge was learning to advocate for herself and her own needs.
"I've been really good at being an advocate for others, but when it comes to myself I think about all the hard work that is involved," she said.
Ms O'Shannessy is an advocate for Women's Health Grampians' recently launched Equality for All project.
The initiative's aim is to strengthen the organisation's work in the primary prevention of violence against women and their children.
Women's Health Grampians recruited and trained 11 women as project advocates, who will use their experiences of discrimination to inspire change. The other Horsham Equality for All advocates are Biny George, Shannon Secombe and Katie Mutch.
"All the advocates are women who have more than one identity or issue; we may have a disability, or be a migrant, or Indigenous, or a member of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex community," Ms O'Shannessy said.
"Through the training we learned about how to counteract attitudes and looked at the bystander effect to combat inequality."
Ms O'Shannessy and the other advocates speak at community events about their life experiences. They recently had their first speaking engagement at a Communities of Respect and Equality Alliance meeting in Horsham.
"We basically talk about our lived experiences an issue that has affected has a woman and how we can change attitudes around those certain issues. It depends on who the group is as to what I will talk about," she said.
Ms O'Shannessy, along with Ms Mutch, will next speak at the the Horsham Disability Expo next week.
The expo is on Thursday, April 4 from 10am to 3pm at the Horsham Church of Christ.
It will give women from across the Wimmera a chance to come together and learn about the services available to them in the region.
Women with Disabilities Victoria will host two free sessions at the expo at 10am and 1pm during which Ms O'Shannessy and Ms Mutch will speak about their experiences as women living with a disability.
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