Jamie Larsen's advice: assume the highest when meeting someone with disability
Jamie Larsen, 21, urges people to assume capability first when meeting someone with disability.
Jamie Larsen is a communications intern, a Dungeons and Dragons fan and a powerchair soccer player. Sometimes people direct their questions to his support worker instead of him.
The 21-year-old Canberra university student says it makes him feel less like a person. Jamie's advice for anyone hesitant about interacting with someone with disability is simple: assume the highest of them first.
If you think someone needs help, ask before offering. If they use a support worker or carer, address the person directly and include both in conversation.
Diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy at four, Jamie attended mainstream public schools and is now studying communication at the University of Canberra. He's currently doing an internship at Hartley Lifecare, a community care organisation, bringing lived experience to his communications work.
- 21
- Larsen's age
- Six years
- Years playing powerchair soccer
- Hartley Lifecare
- Current workplace
Why it mattersChanging how we interact with people with disability can shift from pity or assumptions to genuine connection and respect.
AustraliaIn Australia's workplaces and communities, treating people with disability as capable first can improve inclusion and give them real agency in decisions about their own lives.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 2 h ago
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