Nidhi Shekaran has defied the expectations and stereotypes that come with having a disability. Living with cerebral palsy and a vision impairment, Nidhi was always told that she would find it difficult to succeed in life.
“Often in the Indian community, if someone has a child born with disability, then people start telling them that now their daughter or son cannot do anything now. My parents were told the same. People used to tell them that I will never be able to walk. I will not be able to read and write and I will not be able to work.”
Now, Nidhi is the Chairperson on the City of Sydney’s Inclusion (Disability) Advisory Panel and was a finalist for the NSW Volunteer of the year awards in 2017.
She has dedicated her life to being an agent of advocacy and education within the disability and multicultural sectors.
Nidhi shared her story in an interview for the Speak My Language (Disability) program, a national initiative led by the Ethnic Communities’ Council of NSW to share stories and advice about living well with a disability.
Born in India, Nidhi’s lived experience as a person with disability from a diverse cultural background inspired her to become an advocate for culturally and linguistically diverse people. Nidhi’s family first migrated to New Zealand, and later moved to Australia when she was a teenager. Due to her disabilities, Nidhi was told she would not be able to achieve her education goals but went on to graduate university despite this.
By drawing on her bilingual skills and passion for advocacy, Nidhi has transformed attitudes and removed barriers within contemporary multicultural Australia. Nidhi has worked and volunteered for the Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association since 2005 and has served seven other organisations in the disability sector.
In her interview, Nidhi Shekaran states that her family was a key part of her resilience and success in life. “My parents did not differentiate between me and my siblings. I was given as much freedom, love, and respect as was given to them, and I was given the same opportunity as was given to my siblings.”
Nidhi’s positive attitude has led her to take advantage of every support service and opportunity available to her.
“I do not have the word ‘no’ in my dictionary. I have completed a Diploma. I volunteered for 10 years and I have a good job. I also work in the Department of Disabled Services. I am associated with six to seven different organisations. In 2000, I was selected for the New South Wales Volunteer of the Year Award.”
Speak My Language (Disability) is funded by the Commonwealth Department of Social Services. The program is being led by the Ethnic Communities Council of New South Wales and is proudly delivered via an historic partnership between all State and Territory Ethnic and Multicultural Communities’ Councils across Australia.
There are more than 45 Hindi interviews that share information and advice about living with a disability.
Stories like Nidhi’s have helped shift attitudes towards disability and connect listeners with services and resources that support their participation in all aspects of life.
You can listen to Nidhi Shekaran’s full story for free online at www.speakmylanguage.com.au.
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