International Day of People with Disability

The International Day of People with Disability is held on 3rd December each year. 

In 2022, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (https://www.abs.gov.au/) reported that 5.5 million Australians, or 21.4% of our national population, live with a disability. In NSW, this equated to 1.3 million individuals, or almost one-fifth of the state’s population. As of July 2025, almost 750,000 Australians were accessing supports through the NDIS.

Research shows that individuals living with a disability face numerous barriers in accessing and feeling included in the health care system. This contributes to higher rates of unmet healthcare needs and poorer health outcomes when compared to people without disability (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2024 https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports-data/australias-health).  

Santiago Velasquez was selected for the 2025 ambassadorship program run by the Australian Government's Department of Social Services

• Announcement by Minister Jenny McAllister: https://www.health.gov.au/ministers/senator-the-hon-jenny-mcallister/media/international-day-of-people-with-disability-2025-ambassadors-announce
• Santiago Velasquez' individual video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=258EB0z2hlg&t=134s
• Videos for all the ambassadors: https://www.idpwd.com.au/about/our-ambassadors/

 

"Santiago Velasquez Hurtado is the CEO and founder of two companies, and an accomplished innovator and designer. Santiago utilises his lived experience and degree in electrical engineering to invent solutions to make the world more accessible. As a UN panellist, Churchill Fellow and TedX speaker, he is determined to change the way the world perceives people with disability."

 

New book: Communication and Sensory Loss: Global Perspectives

I am so proud of my colleague A/Prof Kate Crowe who has just had her edited book published by Routledge.

It is titled: Communication and Sensory Loss: Global Perspectives

https://www.routledge.com/Communication-and-Sensory-Loss-Global-Perspectives/Crowe/p/book/9781032211626

Here is the CSU news release: https://news.csu.edu.au/latest-news/sensory-loss-and-communication-a-unique-new-book-to-guide-professionals

I was very honoured to write the foreword for the book. Here is a segment of my foreword:

Communication and sensory loss: Global perspectives is a rich resource for governments, professionals, students, communities and families sharing insights about the communication of children and adults with hearing and/or vision differences. The book contains 11 chapters. The first part (chapters 1 and 2) eloquently sets the scene, by clearly articulating terminology, frameworks, and intersectionality to support the strengths and participation of people with sensory loss. The second part focuses on sensory loss in childhood, specifically for children with hearing loss (chapter 3), visual impairment (chapter 4), deafblindness (chapter 5), and with complex communication needs (chapter 6). The third part focuses on sensory loss in adulthood, specifically acquired communication impairment in adults with sensory loss from childhood (chapter 7), adults with hearing loss (chapter 8), vision loss (chapter 9), deafblindness (chapter 10), and complex communication needs (chapter 11). What is remarkable about each of these chapters, is that they are co-authored by people from different professions, different parts of the world, and with different lived experiences so that each chapter acknowledges communication rights of “everyone”. The case studies challenge pre-conceived notions of people with sensory loss, uniquely focussing on the, lives, strengths and challenges of a diverse range of children and adults from across the world. 

This remarkable book is written by 31 different authors who work in Asia, Oceania, North America, South America, Europe, and Africa. All of the authors have professional experience supporting the communication of children and adults with hearing and/or vision differences. Uniquely, a number of the authors also have with lived experience of hearing and/or vision differences, and use their experiences and knowledge to advocate within their own countries and across the world...

Readers can approach this book like they would approach the world‘s most inclusive icecream shop. Readers can find foundational knowledge (vanilla) to understand overarching issues relating to communication and sensory loss. They can find common flavours (chocolate and strawberry) that are included in most books about sensory loss. However, they also can find unique insights about sensory loss from across the world (e.g., lychee, turmeric, durian, honeycomb, rosewater). The case studies provide exquisite additions (e.g., chocolate chips, sprinkles). And, there is attention to everyone – providing a strengths-based approach to inclusion (e.g., lactose free sorbets and gluten free alternatives to icecream cones). Indeed, this book can be read from beginning to end (e.g., like an enormous sundae), or can be revisited again and again gaining a unique combination of insights...

As a result - Kate and I celebrated with icecream!

Communication and sensory loss: Global perspectives

Congratulations to Dr Kate Crowe who has just submitted her edited book titled "Communication and sensory loss: Global perspectives" to Routledge. She wrote "The book has 31 different author, authors with lived experience of hearing and/or vision differences, and authors who work in Asian, Oceanic, North American, South American, European, and African contexts". What a remarkable achievement! Kate has invited me to write the Foreword and I have been enjoying reading the chapters in order to complete this task. Congratulations again Kate!

Dr Kate Crowe submitting her book in Iceland on 1 Nov 2023