My Disability Matters

Our vision is to create an empowering and safe online community for those impacted by disability to meet, share, learn and discuss

What is My Disability Matters?

My Disability Matters (MDM) has been created to improve the lives of people who live with disability.

Living with disability can be lonely and very challenging. Despite over ONE BILLION people worldwide living with disability, many do not have access to the information and resources they need that could improve their lives. Many do not feel a sense of community.

For Founder Dale Reardon, his motivation starts from a personal perspective.

“I have been a blind disabled person for over 30 years, since I was 17. I personally understand many, not all of course, of the struggles and discrimination that disabled people face. I seek to help empower disabled people and give them a voice. MDM provides a place for disabled people to find information, ask advice, network and find their community.”

MDM has previously provided two valuable online resources for the disability community, which have both now closed as we were unable to get sufficient funding to continue.

  • The community site, the MDM Club, was a social network. It was a place for members to have open discussions of disability issues, to meet others affected by disability from across the world and find peer support.
  • The News website housed over 1000 news and opinion articles on disability issues and disability rights. 

 MDM is now launching Travel For All. 

Travel For All will be a “TripAdvisor for Accessible and Inclusive Travel”, incorporating a community and providing detailed accessible travel information. Travellers with accessibility needs will have access to trusted, verified and complete information to plan, book and experience travel with confidence. 

What My Disability Matters aims to achieve

Our Goals

In addition to the social impact achieved by the provision of services through the MDM websites, MDM has two further social goals.

As MDM grows, we look forward to employing disabled people into as many positions as possible. People with disability will undertake roles across the business. In Australia, almost half of people with disability are not in the labour force (46.6%), compared with 16.8% of those without disability (ABS 2015).

The goal is to create a sustainable business. Longer term, as profitability is achieved, we will reinvest a significant portion of the profits back into the disability community through the creation of a foundation.

At this early stage, we envisage the Foundation providing grants to disabled people to enable them to start up their own business. When the foundation becomes a reality, it is feasible the scope may broaden to other purposes as well.

 

Our Vision 

Our vision is for equality in tourism for people with accessibility needs, whether through age, disability, accident or illness.

We want planning, booking and experiencing  travel to be simple and straightforward for everyone, even if you have accessibility needs.

 

Our Mission

Create the go-to online place to find places to stay and things to do that suit your accessibility needs. A core part of this will be an engaged community who actively share their travel experiences with others, so that everyone has the opportunity and confidence to find a travel experience for themselves. 

 

Sustainability

All services of My Disability Matters are delivered online. Access to Travel For All is free for travellers and this is how we intend for it to continue.

As is common online, free content and services include the presence of advertising. Advertising and other sources of income will be pursued so that MDM as a whole can be sustainable and continue to provide services for the disability community, for which they will not need to pay. It is only through a sustainable business that our goals can be achieved.

Tourism businesses will pay fees to undertake accessibility assessments of their properties, which they can then share on Travel For All and other locations online. Businesses will also get access to disability awareness training.

 

About Dale Reardon, Founder of MDM

I am 49 and have been blind since the age of 17. My seeing eye dog Charlie is 10 and is my fourth dog.

I have a law degree with honours and have practised as a lawyer in Tasmania, WA and Victoria. I have owned several businesses and currently operate other businesses with my wife, Jo.

I was born in Tasmania and have lived in many parts of Australia, and have travelled broadly. So far my favourite place to visit is France. The wine, food and culture are great.

Jo and I now live in the beautiful beachside suburb of Kingston Beach in Tasmania. Charlie is particularly happy that the dog beach is very close by.

Find Dale on LinkedIn ~ Find Dale on Twitter

My Disability

I am blind, and currently using my fourth guide dog, Charlie. I also have depression and anxiety as additional disabilities.

I lost my sight at the age of 17 when in Grade 12 at school. The cause is genetic and is called Leber’s Optic Atrophy.

I have served as a Director of Royal Guide Dogs Association of Tasmania and I was also the inaugural founding President of Blind Citizens Australia, Tasmanian Branch. I am currently a member of the NDIS Independent Advisory Council, which advises the Board of the NDIA and the NDIA itself.

Over the years I have experienced discrimination in all sorts of ways, ranging from refusal of entry to hotels and restaurants, employment discrimination and problems with University Education. I have also been refused by many taxi drivers and considered unsuitable as a parent by a Government Department due to my disability. Consequently I have a great deal of experience in relation to anti-discrimination complaints and advocacy. Mental health disabilities provide particular challenges in this area.

I believe that I bring a wide range of lived disability experiences to this venture and will use my business and disability experience to guide the venture.

My Work Background

I lost my sight in the final year of school and went on to attend the University of Tasmania (Hobart) the following year and obtained a Law Degree with First Class Honors. Over the years since then I have practised as a lawyer in Hobart, Launceston, Western Australia and Victoria.

I have owned and operated tourist accommodation businesses in Battery Point Tasmania, conducted business online, tutored at University and even worked for the Australian Tax Office. I also commenced a PhD in Law but due to mental health issues I did not complete that.

I was an early adopter of the internet starting to use it for business purposes as far back as 1996 and believe in the power of technology and information. I even met my wife through internet dating!

I have served as a Director of Royal Guide Dogs Association of Tasmania and I was also the inaugural founding President of Blind Citizens Australia, Tasmanian Branch. I am currently a member of the NDIS Independent Advisory Council, which advises the Board of the NDIA and the NDIA itself.

Since 2011, my wife and I have operated a number of other businesses, which give us the skills and infrastructure to start this endeavour far more easily and quickly.

My Personal Background

I was born in Tasmania and have lived in many parts of Australia including Perth WA, Melbourne, Frankston and Gisborne Victoria, Hobart, Launceston, Alice Springs and even Ipswich Queensland for several months.

I am 49 and married to Jo Reardon. We live in the beautiful beachside suburb of Kingston Beach in Tasmania. My wife is not disabled but will be key to the running of the operation for the beginning, from an admin, project management and web design point of view.

I have travelled overseas to quite a few countries and love experiencing different food and culture. French wine, food and culture are my favourite of all thus far. A great deal of my travel has been possible through the power of frequent flyer programs and frequent flyer point earning which you could say is a personal hobby.