Beyond barriers: Advocate sheds light on the challenges at disability expo

Ms Kupke-Smith revealed the triumphs and trials of her community at an expo for the International Day of People with Disabilities at The Cube Wodonga on Thursday, December 7.

"It's important that society recognises that we are people," she said.

"For me, today is about championing our achievements while also identifying our challenges.

"And we celebrate today on the backs of many advocates and disabled people that have gone before us who have championed social models of disability and have gotten us to where we are today."

Ms Kupke-Smith, who deals with rheumatoid arthritis, lymphedema and dyslexia, emphasised that people with a disability simply wanted to be treated like everyone else.

"Even today, I had someone talk to me like I was a two-year-old just because I'm in a wheelchair," she said.

"I'm a business owner, and I come across that daily - yes, I work. I own a business. Yes, we pay taxes."

Despite improvements in recent years, Ms Kupke-Smith said housing remained an everyday challenge.

"We're taken away from the normal community," she said.

"They build accessible housing in Thurgoona out in the boondocks. It's far from the shops so you can't go to the local cafe and have coffee.

"I live in a house where I have to get out of my wheelchair and crawl around because my wheelchair doesn't go in the front door of the house."

Ms Kupke-Smith, founder of Peoplecraft, said while Albury and Wodonga councils were overall very inclusive, there were still improvements to be made in making shops and infrastructure accessible.

"On Dean Street, I can't go into half the shops because there isn't a ramp - that's humiliating," she said.

"I don't always want to shop online. I want to be part of the community."

Regional Disability Advocacy Service spokesperson Ben Foley outlined the unique challenges of people living with a disability in regional communities.

People wanting to get on the NDIS or disability support pension must travel to Melbourne, Canberra or Sydney for an assessment.

Mr Foley said apart from the costs involved, travel can often be inaccessible or unreliable.

"There's only a finite number of disabled access spaces (on the train), and you can't guarantee that when you get to the train station, there will be a ramp that will get you on," he said.

"So you make your V-Line booking to Melbourne and think you're coming back on the train only to find that they've cancelled it and it's been replaced by a bus.

"But there's no way for you with your wheelchair to get on the bus, so you're stranded."

Mr Foley said getting a formal medically assessed diagnosis can cost a lot of money.

"There would be people in our community today that are eligible for the NDIS that are not on it and have given up because of the frustration of the process they've got to go through to get on it," he said.

"It's easier said than done."

But overall, Mr Foley and Ms Kupke-Smith agreed that the Border was a very inclusive community for disabled people.

And events like the expo and the dance party that followed were evidence of the community's all-embracing spirit.

"I find that we've got quite a proactive regional community who are conscious of the fact that one in every five people has a disability," Mr Foley said.

"There is an inclusive attitude in the community, and people actually want to support their fellow citizens."