Changing Perspectives... on Disability

My twin sister Lia and I had a rough start to life. Born three months prematurely on 22 March 1998, we were treated in the ICU. During this time, I suffered from a pneumothorax in my lungs and my sister was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. My pneumothorax thankfully healed; however, Lia’s cerebral palsy was permanent.

Growing up I never viewed my sister as disabled or labelled her differently... to me she’s the same as anyone else and always will be.

Our industry suffers from a lack of representation

When I was young my sister and I visited my father, John Sintras, at his office. I was welcomed with open arms, but Lia was not. People would often talk to me with great enthusiasm and ignore her – something that I’m sure a lot of people would now view as unacceptable. These interactions may partly explain why Lia now has zero interest in our industry and shakes her head when Dad and I talk shop; she doesn’t give a shit about a TARP.  

As Lia says: “I was a bit too young to understand how I could feel more accepted and stand up for myself.”

Had Lia been welcomed into the office the same way I was, and seen as an individual and not just as her disability, then maybe her perspective on the media industry could have been shaped in the same way mine was. She might have been able to see media as a viable – and exciting – career option.

As an industry we talk a lot about DE&I, but it would be better for everyone if we talked less and took more action. According to the Media-i DE&I Survey of MFA member agencies, only 2.6% of media agency employees live with a diagnosed disability or special need. It’s fair to say we have a long way to go before we catch up with the broader Australian community, in which 20% of Australians live with a disability.

This discrepancy was the inspiration behind the GroupM Disability Action Plan, which launched last year and was the first in the industry. Its aim is to make the business more accessible and inclusive to people living with disability – from better awareness and education, to recruitment process and policy updates. 

And while there are no official statistics on diversity in advertising in Australia, US figures from Nielsen show that people with disabilities comprised just 1% of people in ads. (AANA.com.au)


So, what can we do to make people with a disability feel more included in the workplace?

• Get to know the person first before you get to know the disability. Once you know the person, understanding the disability becomes a lot easier, as their disability might be quite complex.
• Talk to the person directly and try to avoid asking other people about their disability. Ask them as many questions as they are comfortable with, but keep in mind this can also be a confronting topic to talk about for them as well.
• Treat a person with a disability with the same respect as you would a person without a disability – regardless of sex, gender, or ethnicity; we are all humans after all.

It’s imperative we make individuals living with a disability feel a sense of belonging within our community and workplace. Disabled people belong in the Australian media industry as much as anyone else.

It is time we act, not just talk.