Stella Young
Stella Young
Stella Jane Youngwas an Australian comedian, journalist and disability rights activist...
NationalityAustralian
ProfessionComedian
Date of Birth24 February 1982
CountryAustralia
ask asking attending believe best employer interview pay provide quite says
In Australia, a deaf person attending an interview must take their own interpreter at their own expense, or ask the employer to provide one. Believe me, nothing says 'I'm the best person for this job' quite like asking an employer to pay to interview you.
asked condition exactly identify interviews name relevant repeatedly unless
I am repeatedly asked in interviews exactly 'what's wrong' with me, and I always give them the same answer; I don't identify the name of my condition in an interview unless it's relevant to the context of the story.
accessible against asking bad discussion either employer gave immediate interview learned mark potential quickly straight wheelchair work
I quickly learned that asking if an interview space was wheelchair accessible was a bad idea; it gave a potential employer an immediate bad impression. It was either a black mark against my name, or a straight up discussion of why I wouldn't be able to work there because they had no wheelchair access.
access side
Personally, I like a generous side of wheelchair access with my cities.
allowed arms people
People get all up in arms when I describe myself as a crip because what they hear is the word 'cripple,' and they hear a word you're not allowed to say anymore.
life
On the whole, my life is and has been wonderful.
admit among buy cost earn eat jobs love lucky meet mention money nice pay reason rent work
Even those among us who are lucky enough to love our jobs would have to admit that at least part of the reason we work is to earn money. In between all this work, we like to eat out at restaurants, go on trips, buy nice things, not to mention pay rent and meet the cost of living.
anyone believe benefit concerned fraud money people services spent vital
Believe me, people with disabilities are just as concerned about benefit fraud as anyone else. Money spent on those who are not in need is money that isn't being spent on vital services to support us in the community.
I used to think of myself in terms of who I'd be if I didn't have this pesky old disability.
esteem image people
Self esteem and a healthy body image for people with disabilities are so often hard-fought.
afford doctors fortune immunity lived neither since
Doctors are not fortune tellers, and neither am I. Having lived with disability since birth does not afford me immunity from illness.
certainly disaster medical ultimate
Disability is often framed, in medical terms, as the ultimate disaster and certainly as a deficit.
almost bus caught certainly deal disability gender great informs life religion whether work
Disability informs almost every part of my life. It's as important, if not more so, than my gender and sexuality. It's certainly a great deal more important to me than my religion or whether or not I caught a tram, ferry or bus to work.
people respect society treats
We are a society that treats people with disabilities with condescension and pity, not dignity and respect.