Latest news with #NickParsons
ABC News
07-08-2025
- Business
- ABC News
What are the social and medical models of disability, and how do they differ?
What do you think of when you think of disability? Someone in a wheelchair? Someone who is blind and has a cane? Whatever they look like, their impairment means life can be harder for them. The fact they don't have use of their legs or eyesight is the reason they might struggle to get up and down stairs or read writing on a piece of paper. But what if we told you that was only one way of thinking about disability, and there's another reason those people struggle in certain situations — one that has much less to do with the fact they can't walk or see? The way many people view disability forces those living with it to work within the limitations of a world not designed for them. Could a shift in mindset help move the dial on inclusion? In 2014, Nick Parsons was fresh out of law school and excited about starting his career. But the Sydney man didn't realise a system based around justice would end up being so difficult to navigate. Nick Parsons is a partner at W Advisers in its dispute resolution team. ( ABC News: Mary Lloyd ) Nick Parsons is blind and uses a cane to navigate physical spaces independently. ( ABC News: Billy Cooper ) Nick Parsons (back) uses screen reading technology to access digital files. ( ABC News: Mary Lloyd ) Mr Parsons is blind. He uses a cane to help get around physical spaces and screen reading technology to access digital ones. While working as a paralegal in a government office years ago, he wasn't able to use the department's file management system because it wasn't accessible to his screen reader. Mr Parsons says filing documents late meant a business could go insolvent. "I felt like I had my hands tied behind my back. I felt like I was letting people down because I was unable to do fairly simple things," he says. Nick Parsons has become a succesful lawyer. ( ABC News: Mary Lloyd ) Nick Parsons learned to code to overcome the environmental barriers at a previous job. ( ABC News: Mary Lloyd ) Mr Parsons ultimately decided to leave the "otherwise great" Crown Prosecutor and work at a small private firm with more "flexibility" to change its technology. He spent his weekends learning how to code, creating a new accessible file management system for the whole organisation. "At a larger firm, I don't think that ever would have happened," he says. Nick Parsons represents clients on litigation matters in NSW, Federal and interstate courts and tribunals. ( ABC News: Mary Lloyd ) Today, Mr Parsons is a partner at a boutique CBD law firm and junior staffers file documents for him. Thanks to a few changes and considerations — such as having time to get orientated with courtrooms — he's able to succeed in his profession much more easily. While he says he was happy as an "enthusiastic" junior staffer to come up with a solution to the tech issues he faced, other people with disability shouldn't be expected to drive such changes in their workplaces. "I don't want to spend my time doing that because my time is more valuably spent actually doing the legal work." A different model Many people would see Mr Parsons' struggles at the Crown Prosecutor's office as the result of his blindness. That view is known as the medical model of disability, where someone's barrier to accessibility stems from a medical difference or impairment that needs to be "fixed". But that's not how Mr Parsons feels — he says those struggles were because of the design of the environment. That position is known as the social model of disability, which posits that people with disability are disabled, not by their impairments, but by the world around them. That includes cultural factors such as attitudes, discrimination, and physical barriers like a lack of ramps or accessible software. "[The social model of disability] has been around since the 1980s, and it really shifted people's thinking around the responsibility of society and the ways in which society can be changed to enable people with disability to participate on an equal basis as others," Anne Kavanaugh, a professor at the University of Melbourne's School of Population and Global Health, says. Anne Kavanaugh says disability has been "over-medicalised". ( ABC News: Patrick Stone ) The social and medical models are two of the many ways to view disability. ( ABC News: Michael Lloyd ) Professor Kavanaugh says society has long "over-medicalised" disability. "We have concentrated on the things that we can do to fix people's disability … and that sees someone with disability as inherently lesser than someone who doesn't have a disability," she says. "[It also sees] disability as a tragedy, as something an individual experiences, as something that makes them a source of pity, rather than thinking about the way in which society can actually empower people with disabilities." There are criticisms of the social model though, its simplicity being one of them. While Professor Kavanaugh says the social model "has a lot of merit", it's just a framework and doesn't consider every barrier all people with disability come across. For example, no number of changes to the environment around people living with chronic pain or fatigue will remove all the symptoms they experience. "People with disabilities still experience impairments in their bodies, and no matter what you do, in some instances, that is going to impact on what you can do in life," Professor Kavanaugh says. 'Felt like they didn't want me' Jeremy Muir knows how much easier society is to navigate when it's been designed to include everyone. A wheelchair user for more than 40 years, he's the current CEO of Physical Disability Australia, which works with governments and organisations to improve accessibility for people with physical disabilities. Jeremy Muir has been a wheelchair user for decades. ( ABC News: Michael Lloyd ) Jeremy Muir says his wheelchair doesn't hinder his ability to go about his day, it helps him. ( ABC News: Michael Lloyd ) A few years ago, Mr Muir was working as a disability advisor, helping people with disabilities access his organisation's resources, common spaces and reasonable adjustments. Ironically, his team was moved to an inaccessible older building where doors, bathrooms, the kitchen, and reception didn't meet the 2010 building standards that aim to ensure all new buildings meet a minimum level of accessibility. To go to the toilet, Mr Muir had to wheel into a different building. "It felt like they didn't want me to be part of the team. It was completely unnecessary," he says. In response to complaints, his workplace remodelled the building and upgraded its accessibility, though Mr Muir and his team still had to spend 12 months navigating the space until the upgrade was completed. Jeremy Muir says he wouldn't be able to safely navigate this curb cut in his wheelchair. ( ABC News: Michael Lloyd ) Mr Muir says accessing many other locations in his community is also difficult. He often uses his wheelchair on the roads in the area where he lives in northern Brisbane, because the footpaths and curb cuts are "unsafe" and often muddy. Jeremy Muir says there is still a long way to go before society becomes fully accessible. ( ABC News: Michael Lloyd ) Things like getting a haircut also require much more planning than what it would for non-disabled people. "[My local barber is] not accessible, so I have to drive to a few suburbs away to a major shopping centre … I have to have someone with me to do that — it's not just inconvenient for me, it's inconveniencing my partner," he says. Mr Muir is clear-eyed about what he sees to be the disabling factor in all of this. Spoiler alert, it's not his wheelchair. "I live a very independent life … my independence is only restricted by my surroundings and the built environment," he says. Jeremy Muir says he lives a very independent life and the only thing that gets in the way of that is his surroundings. ( ABC News: Michael Lloyd ) Mr Muir has seen lots of changes to accessibility in his decades as an advocate but wants to see more. "Forty years ago, or 20 years ago, I wouldn't be able to access my local train station [or] get up to my local suburb on my own in my wheelchair. And of course there's accessible parking and accessible toilets in most places where you go. "Unfortunately, it still takes a willingness and it still takes the right attitude, government funding and policy … to ensure that access keeps improving. [There is] still a long way to go and it can still be better." 'Not a tragedy' As time goes on, more and more people with disability are embracing the social model. Those who do are tired of having to change themselves to accommodate society, instead of society changing to accommodate them. Other models of disability have emerged alongside the social and medical model including the human rights model, which emphasises the equal rights of people with disability and acknowledges there are overlapping forms of discrimination that contribute to a person's experiences. While imperfect, each provides a different lens to view something that many people in society either don't talk about much or understand. Ultimately, Professor Kavanaugh says she'd like to see disability to seen as "simply part of the human condition". "Not a tragedy, not necessarily a superpower — just part of being human in the world," she says. Jeremy Muir says society needs to do more to include people with disability. ( ABC News: Michael Lloyd ) Mr Muir says it makes an enormous difference when society is designed to include people with disability from the get-go. "It gives you a sense of belonging. It helps you believe [that] you are not the problem and that you have every right to exist and … participate in your community as much as any person without a disability." Credits
7NEWS
12-05-2025
- Politics
- 7NEWS
Australian bomb disposal volunteer killed while working with charity that clears landmines in Ukraine
An Australian man has been killed while volunteering to clear landmines in war-torn Ukraine. Nick Parsons died last week after suffering significant injuries near the city of Izyum in the country's east. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Australian Nick Parsons killed in Ukraine. Exactly what happened is still under investigation, but he was working with UK-based charity Prevail Together as a bomb disposal expert at the time. Parsons was among three people critically injured, with Prevail's British co-founder, Chris Garrett, also dying from his injuries. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese offered his 'deepest condolences and sympathies' to the Australian's family. 'I can confirm he wasn't a participant in the conflict. He was volunteering with a humanitarian organisation and so I do want to remind Australians that Ukraine is a do-not-travel zone,' Albanese said. 'The situation is extremely dangerous and we continue to strongly advise all Australians not to travel to Ukraine under any circumstances.' Ukraine's ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko said Parsons had been taking part in a 'very important' demining mission. 'We are very thankful to him and for his courageous work in Ukraine,' Myroshnychenko told SBS. 'Demining is one of those areas where your life is 50/50, you can live or you can die, and it's one of those sharp razors that you walk on, and it's very dangerous.' Prevail board member Shaun Pinner said 'our thoughts and prayers are with the families affected'. A statement on Prevail's website said it is still gathering information on the incident and working with police and military to 'uncover the details'. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed it is providing support to the family of an Australian killed in Ukraine. 'We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time,' it said. 'Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment.' 'We await a ceasefire' It comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy prepares to meet Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Turkey this week. 'We await a ceasefire — this proposal is on the table,' Zelenskyy wrote on X. 'A full and unconditional ceasefire, one that lasts long enough to provide a necessary foundation for diplomacy, could bring peace significantly closer. 'Ukraine has long proposed this, our partners are proposing it, and the whole world is calling for it. 'We await a clear response from Russia. The killings must stop.' Major European powers have pushed the Russian leader to agree to 30-day ceasefire or face new sanctions. 'President Putin of Russia doesn't want to have a Cease Fire Agreement with Ukraine, but rather wants to meet on Thursday, in Turkey, to negotiate a possible end to the BLOODBATH. Ukraine should agree to this, IMMEDIATELY,' US president Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social. 'At least they will be able to determine whether or not a deal is possible, and if it is not, European leaders, and the US, will know where everything stands, and can proceed accordingly!' Putin sent Russia's armed forces into Ukraine in February 2022, triggering a conflict that has led to significant casualties.
The Age
12-05-2025
- Politics
- The Age
Australian charity volunteer killed in Ukraine
An Australian man has died in Ukraine while working for a landmine-clearing charity. Nick Parsons, 28, was volunteering for the mine clearance charity Prevail Together, which helps to disarm landmines, when he was killed in the city of Izyum in the Kharkiv region earlier this month. The charity's co-founder, Chris Garrett, a British bomb disposal expert, was also killed in the incident, which severely injured another volunteer. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed his 'deepest condolences and sympathies' to Parsons' family. 'I can confirm he wasn't a participant in the conflict, he was volunteering with a humanitarian organisation. I do want to remind Australians that Ukraine is a do not travel zone,' Albanese said at a press conference on Monday. 'The situation is extremely dangerous and we continue to strongly advise all Australians not to travel to Ukraine, under any circumstances.' Albanese said the government was limited in what it could say publicly about the incident at this time. Ukraine's ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, paid tribute to Parsons, saying he had sacrificed his life on a courageous mission to help the people of Ukraine. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said it was providing consular support to the Australian man's family.
Sydney Morning Herald
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Australian charity volunteer killed in Ukraine
An Australian man has died in Ukraine while working for a landmine-clearing charity. Nick Parsons, 28, was volunteering for the mine clearance charity Prevail Together, which helps to disarm landmines, when he was killed in the city of Izyum in the Kharkiv region earlier this month. The charity's co-founder, Chris Garrett, a British bomb disposal expert, was also killed in the incident, which severely injured another volunteer. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed his 'deepest condolences and sympathies' to Parsons' family. 'I can confirm he wasn't a participant in the conflict, he was volunteering with a humanitarian organisation. I do want to remind Australians that Ukraine is a do not travel zone,' Albanese said at a press conference on Monday. 'The situation is extremely dangerous and we continue to strongly advise all Australians not to travel to Ukraine, under any circumstances.' Albanese said the government was limited in what it could say publicly about the incident at this time. Ukraine's ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, paid tribute to Parsons, saying he had sacrificed his life on a courageous mission to help the people of Ukraine. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said it was providing consular support to the Australian man's family.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Australian man dies in Ukraine
An Australian man has died in Ukraine while volunteering with a humanitarian and mine-clearance charity. Nick Parsons was killed last week in an incident at Izyum, in the country's war-torn east, while working with Prevail Together, a US and UK-based group that sends volunteers into Ukraine. In a statement, the charity confirmed the incident, which is still being investigated, had killed its co-founder Chris Garrett. 'On May 6, Prevail received the devastating news that our Founder and Chairman alongside other team members were severely injured in an incident near Izyum,' the statement reads. 'We are still gathering information and working alongside military and police officials to uncover the details. 'We kindly request respect and privacy for the affected families and will provide timely updates when possible.' The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed it is providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian who died in Ukraine. 'We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time,' a DFAT spokeswoman said. 'Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment.' Anthony Albanese, speaking on Monday, did not name Mr Parsons but confirmed he was a volunteer in the conflict and not a participant. 'Out of respect for the family's privacy and consistent with our obligations, there is a limit to what we can say publicly at this time,' the prime minister said. 'I can confirm he wasn't a participant in the conflict, he was volunteering with a humanitarian organisation. 'I do want to remind Australians that Ukraine is a do not travel zone. 'The situation is extremely dangerous and we continue to strongly advise all Australians not to travel to Ukraine, under any circumstances.' NewsWire has contacted Ukrainian Ambassador to Australia Myroshnychenko Vasyl for comment. Shaun Pinner, a former British soldier volunteering in Ukraine, said three people had been 'critically injured' in the incident. 'Following up on my previous message: it has now been confirmed that two of the three critically injured individuals have sadly passed away,' he said on X. 'I can confirm that Chris was among those who died. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families affected. 'We deeply appreciate all the support during this difficult time. Prevail will share further updates as soon as we coordinate with the investigation teams over the next 48 hours. 'We can't and will not comment during an ongoing investigation.' A GoFundMe has been established for Mr Garrett, with more than US$46,500 raised as of Monday afternoon. Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in February 2022, triggering the largest land war in Europe since 1945.
