Newtown local Georgia Cranko has been chosen to represent people with disabilities as part of Northcott Disability Services’ 2013 Client Ambassador Program. Each year, Northcott appoints clients as Ambassadors for the not-for-profit organisation, with the aim being to break down the common stereotypes surrounding people with disabilities. Ambassadors are invited to share their experiences of living with or caring for someone with a disability, while also bringing to light the support that Northcott gives to its clients.
At 22, Georgia Cranko is a dedicated advocate for people with disabilities, being a Person Centred Champion for Northcott, a member of the Disability Rights Group at Sydney University and a founding member of AAC (Alternative and Augmentative Communication) Voice for people who use other methods to communicate.
“To be perfectly honest, I didn’t really want to be an Ambassador, but I wanted to be able to speak for Northcott’s values, and be a voice for all those people who are unable to speak. Every day I see how the general population likes to separate themselves from the ‘world of disability’. In order to counter this, I have had to develop the communication skills to articulate my experience and try, to some extent, to normalise disability, to incorporate disability into the fabric of community life, without pity or tokenism.”
“I have right-sided hemiplegic cerebral palsy. This is a result of being impatient to be born. For you see, I shared the womb with my twin sister, Shannon, who unlike me, wasn’t ready to face the world. In my rush, I hurt my brain. My brain haemorrhaged, causing the messages from my brain to my muscles to get a little confused and scrambled,” Georgia, who is non-verbal and uses an iPad and sign language to communicate, said.
Georgia first started accessing Northcott in her teenage years and attributes its recreation service for easing some of the social isolation she experienced in high school by enabling her to go on outings with her friends, independent from her parents. Georgia is currently studying a Bachelor’s degree in Gender Studies and Psychology at Sydney University. Through the help of Northcott, Georgia has an individualised Community Participation Funding package that assists her in completing her university work and allows her to more fully access the community.
“There are all these disability clichés about facing challenges, being inspirational and overcoming adversity. Then there is life. The reality of my life is that every conversation I choose to engage in is carefully thought through, and an effort. Every time I go out in public, I have to brace myself to be talked to like I’m not really as intelligent as I am. These examples are only really a snippet of what living in my body is like. I am not inspirational. I’m just trying to live my life the best way I know how, that is, with a good sense of humour, well, a great sense of humour, if you ask me.”
This year, Georgia will share her story to reach out to people in similar situations and help Northcott in its mission to build an inclusive society. “In essence,” Georgia explains, “I am like most people, I like to be recognised for my abilities and talents, and not for what I am unable to do. Therefore, I truly appreciate people and organisations that value me as a person. I feel that the staff at Northcott wholeheartedly do that.”
“In my role as Ambassador, I will continue to discuss disability as honestly and openly as I can, which hopefully will not only give people a laugh, but also an accurate understanding of why better government funding and flexibility of the services we use are crucial to enable us to lead decent lives.”
