Mathew advocates for inclusion in the great outdoors
Mathew Townsend is bringing his professional experiences with his outdoor adventure company to advocate for inclusion for people with disability.
Mathew is advocating for inclusion for people with disability as part of Carers Queensland’s Inclusive Sport and Recreation Communities project.
The Brisbane local, founder and CEO of Nature Freedom is one of eight members of the recently formed Beyond the Sidelines Reference Group, established to work on increasing the representation and participation of people with disability in sport and recreation, both on and off the playing field.
The group will be instrumental in helping identify best practices in sport and recreation for people with disability. It will also focus on prioritising strategies to stimulate social change towards new and better outcomes through inclusive practices.
Mathew, who has hearing loss and autism, put his hand up to join the group to not only bring his own experiences with disability, but to also support awareness of inclusion and accessibility in outdoor recreation and tourism sectors; particularly as this year marks Queensland’s Year of Accessible Tourism.
“My passions and involvement with my start-up organisation with lived experiences with a disability in this area of activities and engagements will be hugely important and beneficial for the group to learn from,” Mathew said.
“I am hoping to see the group recognised with our intentions and support in increasing awareness of inclusion and accessibility in outdoor activities for people with disabilities. It is critical for our work to be recognised so we can contribute to change ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Games.”
Mathew said there is a long way to go in creating better inclusion and accessibility in society.
“We are setting that example on why we are doing Nature Freedom, and the Beyond the Sidelines Reference group is the right group for having that conversation expanded to ensure the state is fully aware of this opportunity, and to make other regions be more inclusive and accessible as well. It is a pretty critical and important time for this to happen for this group,” he said.
Mathew discovered the project as a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participant through Carers Queensland’s NDIS Local Area Coordination Partner in the Community Program for the Brisbane region.
Mathew uses NDIS supports, not only for his business, but also as part of the Beyond the Sidelines Reference group.
“I use captions, for example, if I need a caption for my board meeting when the team is virtual or sometimes in person, but it has been virtual a lot lately,” he said.
“At a conference, I have a support (worker) with me to take notes; it’s like when I used to be at university I’d have a note taker in the class for me, so I have access for that. It's helped me to not miss out the information so I can learn from more. So, it’s a lot about communication.
“I also receive capacity building support around my journey of being an employee and accessing the community with that resource as well.”
Mathew said accessing the NDIS has made a big difference to his life as it is helping him to “keep the ball rolling forwards.”
“It gets me going, because if I feel like I'm missing out something, I don't feel like I'm moving to something,” he said.
“And it makes me feel like I’m not left out as well; it makes me feel included, involved and more engaged, making me feel more productive.”
Carers Queensland can support you to find out more about the NDIS, to apply for funding and to help you get started with the NDIS.
If you have a disability but are not eligible for the NDIS, Carers Queensland can help you identify and link to options for support in your community.
You can also contact Carers Queensland on 1300 999 636, or cq.enquiries@ndis.gov.au
Find out more about Carers Queensland’s Inclusive Sport and Recreation Communities project and Beyond the Sidelines Reference group by visiting carersqld.com.au/ndis/inclusion-projects/inclusive-sport-and-recreation-communities/
