Legally blind and passionate about sport, Toby Ireland is showing what is possible when young people with disabilities are given equal opportunities.
Looking back at his schooling years, what stands out clearly for Toby Ireland is that inclusion should never have to depend on how hard someone has to fight for it.
As a young person who is legally blind and uses a cane and braille to navigate the world, Toby has experienced firsthand the barriers that young people with disabilities can face in education and sport. But he has also seen how meaningful change can be when people are willing to listen, adapt and create opportunities for everyone to participate equally.
This Youth Week, with the theme ‘Our Voices Matter – We Deserve to Be Heard,’ Halberg Foundation Youth Council member Toby is encouraging young people with disabilities to continue speaking up and sharing their lived experiences.
During Years 9 and 10, Toby fully participated in Physical Education alongside his classmates and thrived well. After receiving an academic distinction in Year 10, he was excited to continue into NCEA Level 1 PE. However, he was told that much of the curriculum would not be accessible or disability friendly for students with disabilities.
“The same concerns followed when it came to NCEA Level 2. Despite being passionate about sport and wanting to continue the subject, I kept finding myself having to advocate and fight for equal access,” Toby shares.
Rather than giving up, he continued pushing for change.
By Year 13, things began to look different. Toby had built strong relationships with people committed to making Physical Education more inclusive and accessible for everyone. Supported by a teacher and classmates who believed in inclusion, he was finally able to fully engage with the curriculum.
The outcome was powerful. Toby achieved straight Excellence grades in Physical Education, highlighting what is possible when young people with disabilities are given the same opportunities and support as everyone else.
For Toby, those achievements are about more than grades. He believes they represent the importanvce of creating pathways for other young people with disabilities to feel included, capable and valued within schools and communities.
“I see the need to speak up if things aren’t right. Not everyone has a voice and platform, so if we do, we need to use it. There is nothing more powerful than hearing someone talk about lived experience,” he says.
He believes lived experience plays a vital role in changing attitudes and challenging barriers that still exist for disabled communities.
As conversations around disability inclusion continue to evolve, Toby hopes more young people feel empowered to use their voices and advocate for change.
“Remember always,” he says, “we matter, we count and we belong.”
