Tag Archives: disabilities

How accessible is your club?

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Shogo Williams-Matsuka, left, attends a club event in 2016. Williams-Matsuka says he joined Rotary partly to improve the representation of people with disabilities in community groups.

By Shogo Williams-Matsuoka, president-elect, Rotary E-club of Western Australia

My life as a Rotarian began in 2014, when I became a member of the Rotary Club of Cockburn in Western Australia. Since then, I have joined the Rotary E-club of Western Australia and am the current president-elect for 2019-2020. My involvement in Rotary is motivated by the need to do more to improve the representation of people with disabilities in community organisations. Often people with disability are portrayed as the passive recipients of charity, undermining our capability to provide meaningful contributions to society. Continue reading →

Ending polio and prejudice

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Paralympic athlete João Correa and his team.

Paralympic athlete João Correa and members of his team.

By João Correa, a Paralympic athlete from Brazil and supporter of Rotary’s End Polio Now campaign

My name is João Correa and I am 49 years old.  Although I was not affected by poliomyelitis, I know the kind of suffering many polio victims have to endure.

When I was 19, I had an accident while working in construction. I was in the hospital for a year and a half, after which I could never walk again. Since then, I have used a wheelchair to get around. Continue reading →