Caitlin Blanche – 2026 Ambassador – Auslan

People see me and say, “She's not that disabled. She doesn't experience disability in the way that I think about disability.”

I'm Caitlin. I'm 21. I'm from Tamworth. I study arts and law, and I'm an Ambassador for International Day of People with Disability.

I have osteogenesis imperfecta type 1A. I'm more prone to having fractures and experience pain and fatigue. 

My symptoms fluctuate day-to-day. So, sometimes I might use a wheelchair.

I remember in school, I went on this excursion. I was using my wheelchair because I'd had a fracture. I was sitting in the assembly hall. My teacher came up to me, shook my hand and gave me an award.

And in my mind, I was thinking, there's literally no way I'm getting an award just for attending the excursion.

I think there's this like tendency to maybe over-glamorise people with disability as either more than or less than human.

And I just want to be seen as human. Like, I think I just want to be seen for the person that I am.

When I was marching at Mardi Gras with People with Disability Australia, I just felt the wholly myself. 

Which I hopefully want to help other people with. That they feel more comfortable in themselves after having a conversation with me.

I was really fortunate to have a mum who, when her daughter was diagnosed with practically being fragile, was very persistent in letting me explore what that meant for myself.

Growing up on a farm was a great place to experiment with that. My brothers and I would wreak havoc a lot of the time. 

We had these push pedal tractors. And I would get taken around the farm in the trailer of one of those. I felt very regal. [Laughs]

I'm very passionate about disability justice.

In school, I'd started doing debating and public speaking. I enjoyed advocating. I found a lot of fulfillment from that. 

And I entered a competition where I was able to speak about disability. In particular, I was speaking about different laws and law reform.

That really made me realise that I could make an impact.

On this day, International Day of People with Disability, the loudness of our community is actually given a microphone.

Hopefully, that sparks conversation. And that's where, in my view, real change happens.