The value-add of diversity

Managing an impressive career, motherhood, leadership and advocacy is no easy feat. But Dr Sarah Anderson, one of Scope’s Board members, takes it all in her stride. And as a woman with a disability, she isn’t just challenging the status quo – she’s rewriting it.

“It’s hard being a woman in the workplace anyway, and it gets trickier when you add children and disability into the mix,” Sarah said.

“People have low expectations and make assumptions that I can’t do something because I have kids, or because I have a disability, or because I’m a woman, and I think, ‘These things add to my value, they don’t subtract’.”

Serving on the Board for the Australian Orthotic and Prosthetic Association, Chairing the Board for Disability Sport and Recreation, and with a PhD in injury prevention, Sarah is a passionate and emboldened advocate for change.

Between chauffeuring her three children around, volunteering at lifesaving clubs, reading and drawing, you may be wondering how the gym addict has had any time at all to become one of the more influential voices in the disability space.

Sarah, who acquired her disability following a workplace accident in her early 20s in which she lost the use of her arm, found it initially challenging to come to terms with her disability.

“I was angry for a while about having a disability, but I have a good voice and a loud voice to make positive change for others.”

And she refuses to let other’s expectations dictate her trajectory.

“Disability itself can be quite defining in many ways, and part of the reason I got a PhD is so people didn’t think I was stupid – there’s this perception that when people work differently they don’t have the cognition or intellect,” she said.

“I don’t want people to say I got it done because of my disability, or even in spite of it; I just want them to say, ‘She got it done’.”

Invest, include, innovate

The theme of International Women’s Day 2024 is ‘Count Her In: Invest in Women’, a poignant and timely theme for the women in the disability sector.

“Women with disabilities, who comprise roughly one billion of the global population, and people with disabilities in general, bring a wealth of diverse perspectives, resilience, and innovation to the workplace and society,” Sarah said.

“This not only strengthens teams but also fosters a more inclusive world where everyone can thrive.”

Navigating low expectations, feelings of having to “prove yourself”, remaining resilient are experiences shared by women and people with disabilities alike, Sarah believes.

“Women and mums are good at putting our heads down and getting it done, even after we are told something isn’t for us or it’s too hard for us – and people with disabilities are really good at that too.”

So, how do we incorporate real, meaningful inclusion into our workforce and invest in women from all backgrounds and abilities?

According to Sarah, it’s seeing the value that perspective, diversity and difference can bring to any situation. Whether it’s a difference in ability, gender, background or culture, new perspectives are invaluable.

Diversity, after all, is not something to be accommodated for, but rather something to celebrate.

“Our inherent biases are always going to be there and having them challenged is a very good thing – we need to see diversity as a value-add.”