The Epistemic Voice of Boyce: An Ethnographic Study of a Lived Life of Disability, Critical Disability Training and Disability Policy Development across Australia.
Abstract
Disability awareness has helped shape and change both the attitudes of individuals and society across Australia over the past 20 years? How has that change measured and explored? The proposed research explores the key factors that have influenced changes in attitudes towards and the understanding of disability both in the broader community and in legislation and policy areas across Australia over the past 30 years. It also explores factors that have influenced these areas and how they evolved. The thesis will argue that awareness, storytelling and shared lived experiences have led to an authentic discovery process about the meaning of disability across a variety of different contexts. Initially, this research was launched due to the perceived need for disability and diversity awareness in educational settings for teacher and staff professional development. It has often been argued that simulations of disability will not create change or develop learning. However, this research explores the epistemic voice and the importance of lived experience linked to key simulations and activities as the first part of the professional development. These experiences are then correlated to the current curriculum and planning processes to explore the formation of a classroom that values all. This study will explore whether this type of professional development, with its many layers of questions and experiences, makes a difference to teachers’ understandings of disability, their attitudes towards disability and their planning for disability and an inclusive classroom. The findings will identify whether change, both short term and long term, has occurred. It will also determine whether experiential understanding generates long-term change and provide evidence of this change?
Evidence for Celebrating The Long-Term Impact & Education that Exposure to Experiential Understanding of Disability Creates
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Timeline
| Year | Critical events in Sharon’s life – timeline | Disability Legislation and Policy / key significant events |
| 1969 | Born in Toowoomba | |
| 1980 | At 11 Sharon beginning to suffer symptoms of undiagnosed Juvenile Chronic Arthritis | Life changing symptoms - someone who was ADD and never still for a minute to never actually moving. |
| 1980-82 | Journey of finding answers – including medical specialists, natural therapists, physiotherapy, to diagnose Sharon’s experiences and symptoms | Juvenile Chronic Arthritis not recognised, identified nor understood |
| Effects of encroaching disability | ||
| 1982 | Diagnosed with Juvenile Chronic Arthritis | |
| 1987 | Began studies at USQ | |
| 1988 | Tutor and marker for the OPACS Tertiary Preparation Program in Communication and Study Skills. 1998-1999 | |
| 1990 | Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature, Communications and History at the University College of Southern Queensland. (June l990) Part-time Tutor, marker and curriculum developer at U.S.Q. for the corporate Communications Unit (No. 90501) for all of 199l and 1992 |
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| 1992 | Graduate diploma in Further Education and Training University of Southern Queensland. Part-time Tutor, marker and curriculum developer in the Summer Term at U.S.Q. for the International Students Uniprep Communications Program (1992) Part-time marker in 'English in Communications', Semester One, 1992 at U.S.Q.
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| 1993 | Started using a Wheel Chair The importance of this in my life was central to my ability to participate fully in education and society; and it gave me the chance to do everything that my body could not do. I want to reflect on the low cost of the chair and while it seemed expensive at the time it was not only very cheap because of what it enabled me to do, but also in comparison to my current purchasing it is at least 10x cheaper than what I will be paying in todays world. |  |
| 1994 | Began Masters in Education Part-time Tutor at U.S.Q. for the International Students Reading Program. (Semester One l994)
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| 1995 | Publication of Discovery at Paradise Island | |
| 1996 | First QLD Disability Action week Disability Action week award Part-time Tutor at U.S.Q. for Education Faculty subject 'The Developing Child' and Educational Psychology and The Life Span (1996 to 2003)
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| 1997 | Part-time Tutor at U.S.Q. for Education Faculty subject ‘Foundations of Educational Communication’ and ‘Foundations of Language’ (1997 to the 2004) Teaching at Kumbari, USQ | |
| 1998 | Participation in Commonwealth Baton Relay Tutor and marker for the OPACS Tertiary Preparation Program in Communication and Study Skills. 1998-1999 Worked as an ATAS - Aboriginal Tutorial Assistance Scheme tutor for the Department of Employment Education and Training and Youth Affairs (1998>2003) Worked as an ATAS - Aboriginal Tutorial Assistance Scheme tutor at U.S.Q. (1993 >2003) tutoring subjects- Language and Literacy, Curriculum Development, Communication, Sociology and Ethics, Australia, Asia and the Pacific, Music, Movement and Art. | |
| 2000 | My Sister Angela's Wedding. This created new ways of care and different practices with my teaching and overall life as she had been one of my primary carers across all contexts. | |
| 2001 | The Launch of Discovering Disability and Diversity |  |
| 2002 | My Sister Tamara's wedding. I was a singer presenting at the wedding. | |
| 2002 | Master of Education (Honours) in Research, Special Needs, Educational Psychology, Inclusion and Literature and Early Childhood at the University of Southern Queensland. (2002) |   |
| 2003 | Autism workshops at USQ | |
| 2004 | Develop educational resource kit International Day of Disabilities |  |
| 2005 | · Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training – BSZ 40198 (Sept 2005)
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| 2006 | Participated in the Queens Baton Relay for the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games |  |
| 2008 | Australian Human Rights Award for Individuals | Click for access to Australian Human Rights for Individuals award speech and transcript |
| 2011 | Completed a Certificate of Competency in RABQSA-CTE - Consumer Technical Expert |  |
| 2012 | · Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training – TAE 401110 (July 2012)
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| 2014 | August - 50 days in hospital with sepsis. Fight for life. 25/11 - 30/11. Hospitalised in a coma, tracheotomy inserted and unable to speak Speechless Struggle! |      |
| 2014 | · Completed Certificate in Lead Auditing (February 2014)
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| 2015 | ||
| 2016 | Received the Alumnus of the Year Award at USQ. |  |
| 2017 | Dad died in December after living 4 years with cancer. | |
| 2018 | Mum died in May from Cancer. Participated in the Queens Baton Relay for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games |  |
| 2019 | · Completed Certificate in NDIA Quality Standards (June 2019)
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| 2020 | · Doctor of Letters Awarded USQ (September 2020)
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| 2021 - 2025 | Involved with my roles as Dr Sharon Boyce Mobile – 0417 708 945 boyces@unisq.edu.au Roles and Organisations I represent across areas of Disability:
Social Media and Contact: Would you like to join my Facebook group or look at my website? https://www.facebook.com/sharon.boyce.35 Dyslexia Discovery Discussion Australia The address is https://www.facebook.com/groups/593359224507008 Just go to the site and request to join Or Check out Discovering Disability Facebook site to look at recent videos https://www.facebook.com/discoveringdisability
or Check out Discovering Disability website www.discoveringdisability.com.au Australian disability strategy QLD state disability plan | |
| 2025 - 2026 | NDIS reform Rewrite of the Australian Disability Strategy | |
Creative Exploration Pages
Brief Summary of the Early years page
Brief Summary of the Sharon's Art Page