Vinnie Batten
G’day, my name is Vinnie Batten!
I’ve lived my whole life with a disability, being born in the mid-‘90s with a shorter left leg and two toes on my left foot, undergoing multiple leg lengthening operations as a child.
I have a very distinct memory of my family talking about the fact that if we happened to live in a country without public healthcare, they almost certainly would have had to sell our home and go into debt to afford me the care that I needed. This instilled the principle in me of the importance of universality in our essential services to take care of those in society that need it most, and give everyone the building blocks they need to pursue their best life.
Since graduating with a Bachelor of Environmental Science from QUT - where I also served as President of the Student Union - I’ve gotten very involved in politics, most recently running as a candidate in the May federal election, on a platform of: environmental, economic and social justice. I was greatly aided using skillsets that I’m thankful to have learned from being a QDN Emerging Leader in 2021.
It would be a great honour to be elected to the board of QDN, where I would use my experience, skillsets, networks, energy, enthusiasm and integrity to serve. To build upon the great accomplishments the organisation has already achieved through hard strategic work, pushing us further towards a truly inclusive society where Queenslanders with disability get a fair go.
I relish any opportunity to use any position of influence to be authentically representative of the disability community, one made up of those from quite literally all diverse backgrounds.
Accordingly, I commit to being consultative of the membership, playing my part to ensure there’s Nothing About Us Without Us.