ADVOCACY FOR INCLUSION: With Rebecca Schmidt Lachlan – Helping others is helping ourselves

At just 26 years old, Rebecca Schmidt Lachlan woke up from a stroke able to do only one thing: blink her eyes. What followed was a remarkable journey of reinvention, resilience, and purpose.

In this episode, Nicky sits down with Bec, stroke survivor, author, radio host, inclusion advocate, and volunteer board director, for a conversation that is as practical as it is inspiring. Bec's story isn't just about surviving; it's about choosing to fight, adapt, and ultimately use her lived experience to make the world more accessible for everyone.

From Survival to Advocacy:  Bec's stroke didn't just change her body — it changed her entire relationship with the world. Facing the daunting task of relearning life's basics, she describes having to "do everything all over again." But rather than retreating, Bec channelled that experience into something powerful: a deep, personal understanding of what it means to be excluded, and what it takes to change that.

Her book, colourfully titled, “Shit! I'm 26 and Had a Stroke!”, captures the raw reality of that journey, and her work since has only amplified its message.

Making Communities Work for Everyone: Through her role as Project Officer with the Flagstaff Group, Bec leads the We Belong Project, connecting people with disability to their communities and helping them find their voice when dealing with organisations and services.

Her advocacy work is tangible and wins real results. As a driving force behind the Unanderra Access Group, Bec helped lead the campaign to make Unanderra Railway Station, a major transport hub with 72 stairs and zero accessibility, fully accessible through the installation of lifts and ramps. It's a powerful reminder of what community voices can achieve.

Why Inclusion Is Everyone's Business:  One of the most thought-provoking threads of this conversation is Bec's challenge to the idea that accessibility is only a "disability issue." Being able-bodied, she reminds us, is always temporary.

"None of us know when we are going to have injuries - we need to be open to and prepared for when that actually does occur, we have those things in place that we might want to use later on."

It's a reframe that cuts through resistance and makes inclusion feel not just compassionate, but rational.

Communicating with Courage and Curiosity: Bec offers genuinely useful guidance on how to communicate better with people with disability, encouraging curiosity over avoidance, and reframing difficult conversations through empathy: "If this happened to me, what would I expect, how would I feel?"

She also models something rare: the ability to ask for help without shame. As she puts it, the worst that can happen is being told “no”.

A Life Expanded: Winner of the National Courage Award at the 2024 Stroke Awards, Bec reflects on how disability, for all its challenges, has opened her eyes to a fuller experience of life. It's shaped her into someone more considered, more aware, and more connected to community.

Her ethos is simple and self-reinforcing: "Help other people while helping ourselves to make sure everything works well in our community."

This episode will leave you thinking differently — about inclusion, about vulnerability, and about the quiet power of showing up for others.

Resources and Links:

·         Rebecca’s Book: Shit!! I'm 26 and had a Stroke » Altered Abilities

·         We Belong Project, The Flagstaff Group: WeBelong - Disability Support, Employment & Inclusion

·         Rebecca’s Stroke Foundation Courage Award: Rebecca recognised for tireless work… | Stroke Foundation - Australia

Acknowledgement of Country

Community Industry Group' podcast is recorded on beautiful Dharawal Country, and we acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land, and their Elders. 

We acknowledge and respect their continuing culture, the world’s oldest living culture, and the contribution they make to the life of this region and our country. 

We acknowledge that we live and work on Aboriginal land and recognise the strength, resilience and capacity of Aboriginal people.

Music Credit:

"Jarvic 8" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/