Travis Bellamy is an articulate and passionate Sydney man in his early 30s, living his best life and representing his community.
Earlier this year Travis was a customer ambassador for Northcott, his service provider, when they participated in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
Now, after the Mardi Gras, he’s even busier.
‘After being ambassador, I've been writing my second novel,’ Travis says.
‘And I'm really hoping to help Northcott with the 2025 Mardi Gras.’
Travis is a proud gay man living with cerebral palsy. He communicates by using a communication device, funded through his NDIS plan.
‘My disability affects 99% of my life, most decisions that I make every day depends on my disability.’
‘But I never allow my disability to get in the way of living my best life.’
On IDAHOBIT Day, Travis’s message to the broader community is simple.
‘Just be who you are, and love it,’ Travis says.
‘IDAHOBIT Day is a day to recognise and remember that every human is unique and should be viewed as equal.’
Travis has been supported by the NDIS since 2016.
‘My NDIS support is aimed at meeting my day to day needs at home, and maintaining my independence and getting out into the community to attend events that are important to me,’ Travis says.
‘I’m also in a day program where I learn new skills and maintain friendships. I use my NDIS for support at the gym 3 days a week to stay healthy, and I get respite care where I can learn how to live out of home.’
The NDIS has made it possible for Travis to integrate with the queer community, learn about himself, and meet other people.
‘Without the NDIS I wouldn’t have the funds to pay for a support worker to take me to events like Mardi Gras,’ Travis says.
Travis is quick to challenge misconceptions about people with disability, and reminds us that they share the same needs as everybody else.
‘A lot of people don’t think of disabled people as wanting or needing romantic or sexual encounters,’ Travis says.
Travis involvement with his community has given him the experience and perspective to communicate a positive and compassionate message.
‘As a gay man living with a disability, our future is a time when nobody is judged,’ Travis says
