Member Stories

I’m Ted Thorburn, I’m 64 and I have Glaucoma. I had reasonable sight until my mid 30s and then I slowly lost it from there. My mum is Torres Strait Islander from the Darnley Island region (Erob

I have been a member of ATSIDNQ for nearly 12 years and got involved when I was up in far North Queensland, but now I live in Maryborough. When I first lost my sight I found it very hard to get connected with any disability services as there wasn’t much around and many regional people just lived with their disabilities and didn’t reach out.

Now I’m well connected, but there are still many people living regionally and in communities that are not aware or do not have access to services. I’ve been an active member of many disability organisations over the years and have held various roles including participating in shire health advisory committees and equal access groups. I’ve also been involved for many years with Vision Australia and was a co-convenor for their Indigenous working group which helped to formulate Vision Australia’s Reconciliation Action Plan.
I look forward to seeing the ATSIDNQ network continue to grow and I encourage people to join. The network will be a great resource for when the NDIS comes, as many people may feel isolated and will not know enough to make use of new opportunities which could help them.

To view Ted’s video story click here