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Urania

URANIA

"I would say, find out what you are interested in and just get out there and try, try, try!"

Urania is a determined, persistent woman with a strong belief in what is just. She has been very successful in advocating for people with disabilities. Her current activism stems from this but it hasn't always been the case.

"I have always been rebellious and political. Usually for other people before I had the disability. The basis of it is for my own independence and mobility. I had to fight for that. Anyone would be stupid not to know that you have to fight for something from the government, especially if you are from a minority. We don't have much clout."

"The first bit of activism, if you want to call it that, was with the Maribyrnong City Council of Footscray. I'd moved into Yarraville and the footpaths were horrendous, and you can see that I am in a wheelchair. It took me ages to get through to the right department. I had to wait two weeks for the first reply and they were shunting me from person to person. I worked out that their communication process was pretty sloppy, so I addressed that. I made a real big fuss and as a result, they actually asked me to come onto the Disability Action Committee. So out of eighteen people, there were six places. Not bad for something you didn't apply for. So the people responsible for doing the roadwork actually got the people from the DAC and asked me to show them the footpaths. They actually got done in eight weeks." The council's communication process was also modified as a result of Urania's experience.

She has been involved in making changes to public transport access in her local area and sits on various panels for the Equal Opportunity Board, the Electoral Office and Centrelink. She has trained in public speaking, which she finds extremely useful. "What I usually give talks on is my experience with organisations and basically I say, 'Knowledge is power, right? You've got to have your information and have a persistent attitude.' I am not averse to some conflict; I don't care what people think, within reason. I find a lot of people are too scared to create waves. I mean what have you got to lose? What I say when I give my talks is: expect no for an answer, don't take no for an answer."

"I was diagnosed with MS in November 1989. It happened quite suddenly. I started getting wobbly in the legs. It would settle down, then it started again." On the day Urania was told she went into complete shock. "I felt like I had fallen into an empty, black, bottomless pit. Then I thought I am gonna get over this because I believe in positive thinking."

"I got into a fantastic rehabilitation program in 1990 called CRS (Commonwealth Rehabilitation Scheme). They put me onto various exercise programs, swimming, and hydrotherapy. They also put me into a garden centre for people with disabilities. That started my passion for gardening. I became a volunteer there and was the acting co-ordinator for two months. I was their success story."

"Basically, at the moment things are pretty good. I think I have been through the worst of it. I have got a lot of support around me, which I didn't have before and I have made a lot of friends. I would say, find out what you are interested in and just get out there and try, try, try!"