Page 1707 - Week 06 - Thursday, 30 July 2020
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While she enjoyed her work in the environmental science field, Sue had a travel bug and decided to get a job that would enable her to travel. She enrolled at La Trobe University, and in 1972 she completed a Diploma of Education. She completed a period teaching at Lorne Elementary School in Victoria before moving to Alice Springs High School. It was through her experiences in teaching that she discovered the power of education as an instrument of change, particularly when it came to discrimination.
Following her stint in Alice Springs, Sue travelled overseas to Kathmandu to trek in the Himalayas. It was here that she met her husband, a widower with three children. The family spent three years living in Nepal, and another three years in Italy, before returning home to Canberra. Upon their return here, Sue stayed home to look after her family, and returned to teaching in the early 1990s, following the end of her marriage.
In April 1995, at 45 years old, Sue was involved in a horseriding accident that would leave her disabled. After discovering the inequalities and disadvantages faced by people with disabilities, Sue became a champion for change and became a prominent figure in the disability sector. She was particularly concerned with how the intersecting issues of gender and disability discrimination affected women with a disability. Recently she had spoken about the vulnerability of elderly disabled women during the current coronavirus.
Sue served many roles in her time as a disability advocate, including as chair of Women with Disabilities ACT; President of Women With Disabilities Australia; Director of Women in Adult and Vocational Education; Director of Rights & Inclusion Australia; ACT representative on a 2015-16 COAG advisory panel; member of the governing council of the University of Canberra; immediate past chair of the ACT Disability Reference Group; and much, much more.
As has already been said, Sue was the 2014 ACT Senior Woman of the Year; in 2015 she was a finalist for Australian of the Year and was Canberra Citizen of the Year. Sue made an immense contribution to the territory. Her sudden passing shocked Canberra. There has been an outpouring of grief, with many people sharing wonderful stories about the impact she had had on their lives. People have praised her in many ways because of the years of work that she gave to her community. One of many refugees who benefited from her help was a young Afghan man who lost his legs in an explosion in Afghanistan. He is in Canberra thanks to her efforts.
Sue was not only concerned with improving the disability sector; she also worked passionately to ban landmines, which disable so many people internationally. Sue never let her disabilities define her. She reached out to others with disabilities and became a powerful advocate. She was described by those who knew her as a dynamic and enthusiastic woman. Fierce, powerful and strong, she was a powerhouse.
Sue leaves behind a remarkable legacy that will enable generations of Australians to live a better life. Her passing has shocked the community, and she will be profoundly missed. Canberra was privileged to have her. My thoughts, and those of my colleagues, are with her friends and family and all who grieve for her during this immensely difficult time.
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