Isabella Choate – 2025 Ambassador – Audio described

Isabella Choate (they/them) is multi-award-winning Living Experience Advocate, passionate about community building and platforming the voices of young people with disability.

02:19

[Audio description] Feet in platform Crocs.
My name's Isabella Choate.
My pronouns are they/them
and I am a living experience advocate.
I'm also an ambassador for
International Day of People with Disability.
[Audio description] Isabella has flowing dark hair.
I used to be an elite athlete on the Australian team
for canoe slalom.
I was diagnosed with a chronic illness in year 11.
I ended up being bedbound for about eight months.
It was about six years of isolation
and really, really struggling
before I even considered the disabled community.
[Audio description] With other Ambassadors.
My big question is
'can you give me an example
of disabled rage and disabled joy?'
Oh, that's a good one. That's a good question.
Yeah.
People are surprised by the things that I'm joyous about.
Seeing other disabled people out and about,
going out to lunch with my friends
and we've dressed up all of our mobility aids
and we look fantastic.
If people are going to look at me,
give them something to look at.
[Audio description] A series of vibrant outfits.
(Ronan Soussa) Paralympics, wheelchair basketball, is like joy,
because it's not just about the disability,
it's what people can actually do.
(Maree Jenner) Joy for me was when I first connected
with the Short Statured People of Australia.
When we go out, it's pretty joyful.
Disabled rage is an experience that is unique
to people with disability.
It is a human right that people
with disability should be allowed in any space.
It's okay to be upset when you are discriminated against.
(Santiago Velasquez) My rage comes when somebody says,
"Trey can't come in."
I can be refused and you feel powerless.
But my joy is the opposite,
when people realise I'm just another person.
International Day of People with Disability
is a really great opportunity
for the Australian community to consider how we feel
that we are different and how we feel that we're the same.
Like many, many Australians, I didn't have anything to do
with disability, or so I thought.
Disability is a culture.
It's not a look, it's not just a definition.
It's not just a way to access different benefits.
There is a culture, there is a community, and it's beautiful,
and I'm proudly disabled.
[Audio description] The logo for International Day of People with Disability.
 

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