Shepparton’s Maggie Sandles’ self-portrait highlighting invisible disabilities has won her first prize in an art competition by Deaf Children Australia.
Maggie has 1C Usher syndrome, causing profound deafness, progressive loss of vision and balance problems.
The theme of the art competition for deaf and hard-of-hearing young people was ‘This Is Me’.
“It was a self-portrait that didn’t show anything because some disabilities are invisible, particularly sensory disabilities,” Maggie said.
“It’s about raising awareness to people that not everyone would know you have a disability, so it’s about asking for help and having the accessibility available for anyone who needs it.
“I’ve had a couple of instances going to restaurants where the waiters have asked me something and I haven’t heard them or seen them and they think I’m really rude.
“It takes Mum to tell them I didn’t hear them for them to realise and they’re so apologetic afterwards.”
Maggie is in her second year studying exercise and sports science at the University of Queensland and trains and competes in paratriathlons with a local club in Brisbane.
She said her involvement in the art competition came by luck when her mum happened to see it online.
“I’d had a bit of help through Deaf Children Australia before with youth grants, so we keep an eye on what they’re doing,” she said.
When she received an email to say she’d won first prize in the 18 to 23 category, a handy $1000, she was shocked.
“I didn’t think anything was going to come of it,” she said.
“They had the (awards) event in Melbourne; I couldn’t go because I was in Brisbane so I made a video to say thanks.”
Deaf Children Australia is launching its second art competition on May 12 and Maggie encouraged other kids to join in and have a go.
“These opportunities you may as well just take,” she said.