LEAD Barwon Graduate

From the day Tina was born, her family began fighting for her human rights. But Tina found her own voice and now she speaks for herself.

Her integration into mainstream schooling during the 80s was a particularly challenging time for Tina, as there were no integration aids or support in those days. To add to that difficultly Tina was unable to attend the same school as her siblings because their school had no wheelchair access.

Tina’s family have always been a huge support base, which isn’t surprising with a family with eight children, but Tina is adamant that they will never play more than the supportive family member role.

At 27 her health started to deteriorate and she had to quit her job and lost a lot of her social life. But now at 44 years old, with her new NDIA plan being formed, Tina has a much more positive outlook on life.