Carly Findlay

I was born with a rare skin condition called ichthyosis.

While it is medically challenging, the social challenges that come with having a visible difference far outweighs the medical challenges because of the low expectations people have.

When I applied for the role, they invited people with disability and deaf people to apply.

I think knowing that this role had asked for someone with a disability meant that I was more comfortable in talking about what I needed.

Audiences who are deaf and disabled feel that they can connect with someone that might have similar experiences to them but also the non-disabled will be able to ensure that they learn new perspectives and perhaps increase expectations of people with disability.

Everyone benefits from hearing someone else's story, so that's really a good thing.

I did use JobAccess as well, and I think that that really changed my life positively.

JobAccess came in and gave me a new stool and a new chair.

And I felt like it was a real relief that they took the time to understand my condition.

Workplaces really need to make it safe for us to ask for what we need and for us to approach JobAccess and to understand the benefits.

We're deeply committed to making sure that any person who's deaf or has a disability has an equal opportunity to apply to work with us.

We think that that builds the diversity of our workforce and that's an exciting opportunity for us.

We're willing to make any reasonable adjustment to make sure that our workplace can be inclusive for anyone who wants to come and work here.

Because Melbourne Fringe was really open to employing someone with a disability in this role, I had no problems in asking for what I need.

Disability is nothing to be ashamed about.

It's not a bad word, it's not a slur.

We shouldn't be saying euphemisms like 'special needs' or 'assisted needs' or 'diff-ability' or 'handi-capable'.

We need to say the word, because the more we say the word, you know, the less stigma it will have, the more comfortable people will be.

Disability, for me, is part of my identity.

And so I think that it's really important for us to talk about disability in a positive way, not to hide the word and not to be ashamed when saying it.