Meet Elizabeth Hastings, who was honored by Google for creating a special doodle on her 75th birthday.
Elizabeth Hastings was a pioneer of the disability rights movement in Australia. She was the Australia Disability Rights Commissioner.
She was born in London in 1949 and contracted polio when she was six months old, which left her with severe paralysis in her legs, trunk, and arm.
She migrated to Australia with her family in 1957, after overcoming the immigration barriers that discriminated against people with disabilities.
She attended a special school until she was 15, then transferred to a mainstream school where she excelled academically.
She went on to study psychology at the University of Melbourne, where she enjoyed the freedom and equality of being a university student.
Elizabeth Hastings Wikipedia: The Life and Legacy of Australia’s First Disability Rights Commissioner
Hastings worked as a psychologist, researcher, public servant, and advocate for people with disabilities.
She was involved in various organizations and campaigns that promoted the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities in society.
The commissioner was a founding member of the Victorian Women with Disabilities Network and a Victorian Council of Social Service board member.
She also served as the chairperson of the Disability Advisory Council of Australia and the president of the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations.
In 1993, Hastings was appointed as Australia’s first Disability Discrimination Commissioner, a role that gave her the responsibility of administering the new federal Disability Discrimination Act 1992.
The Act outlawed discrimination against disabled persons in a variety of contexts, including the workplace, classroom, transportation, accommodation, and access to products and services.
Hastings used her position to raise awareness, educate, investigate complaints, conduct inquiries, and initiate legal action to protect and advance the rights of people with disabilities.
In addition, she supported Australia’s ratification of the 2007 United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
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Hastings was widely respected and admired for her intelligence, courage, humor, and compassion.
The advocate challenged the stereotypes and prejudices that devalued people with disabilities and denied them their dignity and autonomy.
She inspired many people with her personal and professional achievements and her vision of a society that embraced diversity and equality. She died in 1998 at the age of 49, after a long battle with cancer.
Google Celebrated The 75th Birthday Of The Australia Disability Rights Commissioner
Google honored Elizabeth Hastings with a special doodle on its homepage in January.
The doodle depicted Hastings smiling in her wheelchair, surrounded by symbols of her work and achievements as a disability rights commissioner.
It also featured the words “Happy Birthday Elizabeth Hastings” in Braille. The doodle was designed by Australian artist Jessica Walton, who is also a person with a disability and an author of children’s books that celebrate diversity.
The doodle was part of Google’s initiative to celebrate influential women from different fields and backgrounds worldwide.
Google said Hastings was chosen because she was “a trailblazer who fought for the rights and dignity of people with disabilities in Australia and beyond”.
Google also said Hastings’ legacy “continues to inspire generations of activists and advocates who strive for a more inclusive and accessible society”.
Elizabeth Hastings Partner: Who Was The Commissioner Married To?
Elizabeth Hastings never married or had children, but she had a long-term partner who supported her throughout her life and career.
His name was John Knowles, a psychologist who worked in disability services.
They met in 1976 at a conference in Canberra, where they discovered their shared passion for psychology and social justice.
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They moved in together in Melbourne in 1978 and remained together until Hastings died in 1998.
Knowles was Hastings’s companion, carer, colleague, and confidant. He helped her cope with the challenges of living with a disability and a terminal illness.
He also assisted her with her work as a commissioner, accompanying her on trips, taking notes at meetings, conducting research, and providing advice.
He was proud of her achievements and respected her independence. John described their partnership as based on love, mutual respect, and shared values.
