Share your story about disability

Daniel with best friend Craig and Daniel at work.

The call is out for people with disability, families, carers, friends and service providers to send in their views, ideas and reflections on disability and be part of the Share your Story project.

For ideas, read Daniel Stanley’s story below or visit www.communities.qld.gov.au/shareyourstory where you can also submit your story online.

Daniel Stanley’s story

I met my best friend Craig when I was in Grade 1. My intellectual disability has sometimes made it hard for me to make friends with my peers but I liked Craig because he made me laugh. 

Being best friends with Craig has made me very happy.

Craig has faced a lot of challenges in his life because he is unable to walk and talk. Children at school used to ask me things like, ‘What is wrong with that boy?’

I used to tell them that Craig was just like everyone else but needed help to do some things. Being friends with Craig made me realise I wanted to work with people with disability.

I am now 18 years old and I’m a trainee support worker doing my Certificate III in disability work.

I have learnt that people are sometimes treated differently because society has not considered people’s differences.

I hope to try to change the way people think about disability by telling them about the achievements of the people I work with. I also hope to advocate in my local community for better access so that my best friend and other wheelchair users can do more things.

Daniel Stanley’s story appeared in the 2011 Share your Story calendar. Daniel has now completed his traineeship and is a staff member of Spiritus Regional and Disability Services in Roma where he works as a disability support worker.