Statement On The Death Of Tasmanian Disability Advocate Mary Guy

< BACK TO LOCAL COMMUNITY starstarstarstarstar   Community - Local Community Press Release
3rd February 2010, 07:27pm - Views: 856





Community Community Bill Shorten Parliamentary Secretary For Disability And Children's Services 1 image


Media Contact:      Ben Ruse

0407 030 808

   Media

Statement



BILL SHORTEN MP

Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children’s Services 

Parliamentary Secretary for Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction


Wednesday, February 3, 2010


Statement on the death of Tasmanian disability

advocate Mary Guy


I would like to acknowledge the immense contribution to the lives of people with

disability made by Tasmanian disability activist Mary Guy, who passed away on

Tuesday.


Ms Guy spent her life continually and forcefully fighting for the rights of people with

disability to be treated as individuals and to be included in the community.


She was awarded the Centenary Medal in 2001 and is on the Tasmanian Honour Roll

of Women. In 2008 National Disability Services (Tasmania) recognised her as a

Champion for Disability and I had the great privilege of meeting her to present this

award.


Mary Guy became a quadriplegic after contracting polio at the age of eight but this

did not prevent her from a career in disability services and a lifetime of advocating for

the rights of people with disability.


She helped secure Government recognition of the need for in-home support for people

with a disability and was instrumental in establishing new programs enhancing

independence.

 

She has worked on numerous issues including community awareness, access, building

codes, transport, education and discrimination.


Her courage at fighting against prejudice was an inspiration to many people, and her

legacy will be the better conditions she fought to establish for people with disability.


Mary Guy was a long-serving member of Glenorchy City Council, and was an early

advocate of many of the principles of inclusion and access for people with disability

that are now reflected in mainstream policy.

She was also involved in the work of many non-government organisations including

Cosmos Recreational Services, Community Based Support and National Disability

Services

She pioneered many of the principles that are now embedded in the UN Convention

of the Rights of Persons with Disability. Her drive and accomplishments challenged

people’s preconceptions of what people with disability are capable of, and have made

it easier for the disability advocates who came after her.

Community Community Bill Shorten Parliamentary Secretary For Disability And Children's Services 2 image


Media Contact:      Ben Ruse

0407 030 808










news articles logo NEWS ARTICLES
Contact News Articles |Remove this article