A power wheelchair user in South-Western Sydney noticed the pedestrian crossing near her home was dangerous.
Steep ramp. Potholes. Impossible to cross safely.
Her name is Nabila Laskar. She’s a PDCN member. And instead of accepting it — she wrote to her council.
She explained exactly how the crossing affected her daily life. How it forced her to take a longer route. How it made her feel unsafe. How it cost her time she didn’t have.
Four months later — the crossing was completely renovated.
One person. One letter. A safer street for an entire neighbourhood.
I share Nabila’s story because I think it captures something that gets lost in conversations about disability advocacy.
You don’t have to be at a roundtable in Parliament House to make a difference. You don’t have to be a professional advocate or have a large platform or know the right acronyms. Sometimes advocacy is a letter to the council about a dangerous ramp. And sometimes that letter is enough.
Nabila says she is “passionate about inclusion, community, and making a positive difference in the lives of people with disability.”
That passion didn’t wait for perfect conditions. It looked at the broken crossing outside her house and decided that was a reasonable place to start.
This is exactly the kind of energy we try to bring to the families and participants we support at Kinship Uniting Services across Western Sydney — Blacktown, The Ponds, Marsden Park, Quakers Hill, Kellyville, Rouse Hill, Schofields, Colebee and beyond.
Start where you are. Use what you have.
Source: Physical Disability Council of NSW | pdcnsw.org.au
— Aishah Shah Director & Care Coordinator | Kinship Uniting Services 📞 0437 733 744 | kinshipunitingservices.com