This introduces Emily, a long-term employee at the Flagstaff Group, who shares her personal experiences as part of the “We Belong” podcast series.
She describes her neurodivergence using the metaphor of a high-speed racetrack and explains how anxiety and epilepsy impact her daily life. Emily reflects on the importance of her official diagnosis at age fifteen, which provided her with much-needed clarity regarding her invisible challenges.
She often has to ask the public for patience and understanding. She also highlights the profound emotional support her recent marriage provides, which has helped her overcome feelings of isolation.
The Flagstaff Group is an organisation dedicated to fostering community inclusion and providing life skills for people with disabilities. This dialogue serves to humanise the lived experience of disability while advocating for a more supportive and inclusive society.
Transcript:
Good day. Welcome to Flagstaff, the Flagstaff Group. Our vision, a world that only sees abilities. Thank you for joining this podcast series. We belong.
Hi, I’m Emily. I work at at Paper to Paper as a receptionist. Yeah. So, I’ve been working for 10 years. I never thought I’d, you know, last a day. It’s great.
We belong. We belong. We belong. We belong.
Thank you for sharing your story today. Thank you. Your disability. What is it that you understand it?
Oh, I understand it as being um like a racetrack. There are messages and signals that come from my brain go at a million miles an hour and those million miles an hour is like a car going around a racetrack and it just doesn’t stop. And sometimes it that sometimes there’s a there’s a corner and it doesn’t I don’t quite know where where it where the break is.
So the thoughts just sort of charge through the through the walls and just you know
Has that been with you in all of your life or is that something?
Yes, it has. It has. I just didn’t know it until I was 15. I got diagnosed. But my my pediatrician kind of knew about it when I was very very young, but didn’t say anything, you know. I was just like, and he’s like, “but I didn’t want to label you”. I said, I don’t mind. It’s the devil. I need I needed it labeled.
In this conversation, we’re talking about where you belong. How has it helped you with your disability? You know, it’s invisible. Wouldn’t you think so?
Yes. Because when when you see me, I just like everybody else and people just like, “Oh, that’s all right.” But it kind of depends on what people want me to do. I mean, I don’t think I’d be able to um be an astronaut or something like that. You know, I’m not that smart. or um because of my anxiety and my epilepsy I can’t drive that type of thing and that the epilepsy and the anxiety kind have have kind of developed over the years. It’s a it’s a worry sometimes.
And do you find people’s response when they are having an interaction with you? It might be just on the bus getting off the bus. It might be just at the shopping center. Are they considerate when they realize that you are with disability or . . .
Sometimes I have to tell people I have to say excuse me I’ve just got to it’ll take me a little bit it it’ll just take me a little bit longer.
Are people considerate?
Yeah most people yeah once they once they realize that I’m a bit behind the eightball it’s it it’s all right. Yeah. It’s just it’s just the way I am.
How’s married life going?
It’s good. Yeah, really good.
How recently?
September 20 last year. Still a newlywed.
Yes. Being able to work with a partner now. What brings the happiness for you in that way? Oh, just just knowing that he’s there that I can that I’m not alone. I I get if I’m in a room by myself, I kind of it’s it’s like like being in a cave, you know? You know that feeling? Well, now that he’s there, it’s not so lonely anymore. I’m not in a not in a dark cave anymore. It’s It’s good. Yeah, it’s really good.
We hope you are enjoying this podcast series, We Belong. Are you finding it hard to be out in the community? Any difficulty when joining in with another group or activity? We’re here to help you do the things you’ve always wanted to, like playing your favourite sport, working the job you’ve always dreamed of, or learning a new skill.
Let us know what we can do to help you to be a part of an inclusive community. The Flagstaff Group providing life skills and work for people with a disability. This podcast was recorded and produced on Dharawal, Jerringer Yuin and Wandi Wandandian country. Thank you again for listening.
