Belinda [00:00:01]:
Well, hello, Rachel. Welcome to the motorsport coaching podcast.
Rachel [00:00:05]:
Hi. Nice to be here. Thank you for having me.
Belinda [00:00:07]:
I know finally we're having this discussion. I feel like I'm your top fan and we're going to hear more about your story, but can you share with us who you are? Sure.
Rachel [00:00:18]:
So, my name's Rachel, I'm a single mom. I'm a woman who lives with a disability. I am a motorsport fan. I'm really passionate about advocacy of disability, accessibility, those sorts of things. So, yeah, that's a little bit about me.
Belinda [00:00:39]:
Fantastic. Now, you mentioned that you're a motorsport fan. How did you become a big fan of motorsports, specifically Formula One?
Rachel [00:00:47]:
Yeah. So, living with a disability, I was quite frequently in a lot of pain in my younger years. I would be up late nights, obviously, being in Australia, Formula One is on quite early in the morning, so 01:00 a.m. 02:00 a.m. Wake ups and, yeah, I just started watching television at 01:00 02:00 in the morning. At first it was kind of like, oh, not Formula One again. That's all it seems to be. And then as the years progressed, as I got older, it just started to become a regular thing and I got involved more and more and it just spurned into this absolute love for Formula One.
Belinda [00:01:26]:
Yeah. Did it happen with drive to survive?
Rachel [00:01:30]:
No. Funnily enough, I have watched drive to survive and there are some episodes that I do like, but it's a little bit too manufactured for me.
Belinda [00:01:44]:
Now, Rachel did I think so as well. I've watched a few and I keep turning them off going, no, it's not really like that. But anyway, reality tv at its best. Now, Rachel, you did mention that you do have a disability. So what inspired you to become involved in promoting disability and inclusion within the motorsport community?
Rachel [00:02:07]:
So I think it was probably what kicked everything off was we had been to the Grand Prix in Melbourne, and the first time we'd been there, we were kind of like newbies and we were so green and we didn't have any clue about what we were doing. We just thought, yeah, like Formula one, we're going to go. We're going to watch it. But it really amazed me when I found out how many people with disabilities actually visited Formula one. Not just Formula one, any kind of motorsport event. And then, me being me, I sort of looked into information online and accessibility options, and it just sort of grew and grew from there.
Belinda [00:02:50]:
Fantastic. But when you got there, obviously, you found that there was a requirement to speak up and to say more. What are the highlights of some of the challenges that you've seen or heard or faced yourself when attending motorsports events?
Rachel [00:03:05]:
Yeah, so I think the biggest barrier that I have personally found, and that I know a lot of other people have mentioned, is that nobody wants to listen, obviously, especially Formula one. It's like a high stakes, high money, lots of popular people, they're out there to make a living. And it's almost like any sort of inquiry you have to do with disability, with accessibility, it sort of falls on deaf ears. So that was probably the main one. I think the second big barrier was just lack of information, just nothing really out there that people could tap into.
Belinda [00:03:49]:
Yeah. And now you've started this fantastic Instagram page, which we're going to talk a little bit about more later, and it's growing by the date. So exciting. I've been there since the start.
Rachel [00:04:00]:
I know, I was just thinking, I remember, how many times did I say to you, is this going to work? Is this going to take off? And now we're almost 200 followers in. So, yeah, it's amazing.
Belinda [00:04:12]:
It's fantastic. And I can see the fan base that are starting to follow you, like their athletes, like their drivers, as well as people fans. So it's a bit of a mix, which is fantastic.
Rachel [00:04:24]:
It is great.
Belinda [00:04:26]:
So, as a dedicated fan, what changes or improvements would you like to see implemented at events to make them more accessible and inclusive for individuals with disability? And I might just take it a little bit back because this is obviously your theme, but can you explain what a disability is and the difference between that? I know you can't always see a disability, and I want people not to think, like, it's just people in wheelchairs. Absolutely. That probably should be my opening question. But yes, we'll go back.
Rachel [00:04:57]:
That's okay. So I suppose there are sort of two schools of thought around disability. There's physical disability that you can actually see, like people who might, like you said, be in a wheelchair, people who might have a limb, the most obvious ones. And then there are also disabilities that we call invisible disabilities. So disabilities that you can't see that aren't really obvious. Emotional, mental conditions, depression, anxiety, those sorts of emotional things that we can't really see. Have you heard about, we've got like the lanyards for the invisible disability now that they can wear it? No. So it's like a green lanyard and it's got like a little sunflower on it.
Rachel [00:05:43]:
So if you see one of those in passing, just know that that might be a person with an invisible disability.
Belinda [00:05:50]:
That's great. I've never heard of that. So thank you for bringing it to us attention. And so now to the second part.
Rachel [00:05:56]:
Of the first question.
Belinda [00:05:58]:
What kind of changes or improvements would you like to see for more inclusion around motorsports and vets?
Rachel [00:06:05]:
Yeah, so definitely more information. There needs to be more information out there, especially online, because it's so hard for people to get information. But online, that's the main source of information that we have these days. You google stuff, you go to websites, we don't really do snail mail anymore. So having adaptable options for people online to be able to get that information, I think that's going to be huge. I also think we need to have better conversations around how we make things accessible to people like the motorsports events. They have surveys and they say, tell us what you did, tell us what's going on. How can we make this better for you? That's great.
Rachel [00:06:50]:
But if they don't follow through on that, then what use is it? If people don't actually participate in the surveys, what use is it?
Belinda [00:06:59]:
Yeah, and as you know, I concentrate a lot on sponsorship and a part of that is the activations rate. Do you find that the activations are inclusive for disabilities or do you think that somewhere else that they could work upon or some work, some don't. But overall, again, like your experience of attending events.
Rachel [00:07:18]:
Yeah, no, I think you're totally right. I think some do work, some don't. There's a lot that they could work on. But let's not just dwell on the negative. There are a real lot of positive, accessible options out there to people. It's just that they need to really refine those and they need to follow through with their actions when dealing with those.
Belinda [00:07:39]:
And I think you keep nailing it on the head when you keep saying the word communication. Communication. Just let us know or let everybody else know. And obviously that's what you're looking for when you're going to events and looking at different bits and pieces. I'm just thinking, obviously that people who can't look, do you find that there is enough information out there for the blind? Like, I know with computer systems and websites and stuff now that you can get special systems put into that website so the blind can read, but, yeah. Do you see a lot around?
Rachel [00:08:20]:
Yeah, absolutely. There's like a lot of audio feed now they can listen to things, especially with your accessibility options. All they have to do is because with their technology that they have, they can put whatever they need to into the system and it comes out automatically so that they can hear it. So there are so many options around that for deaf people, too, where it's like the opposite. Instead of they can input whatever they need to into the computer and then it's brought up for them to read. So, yeah, it's just amazing what technology can do these days.
Belinda [00:08:57]:
Yeah, it's fantastic. My life outside of motorsports is in workplace well being now. We are talking a lot about fan base at the moment, but of course there are drivers as well that have disabilities and as we've mentioned, have started to voice their opinion inside your instagram page. How do you envision the future of motorsports events for them going forward utilizing all this technology that we're talking about, which is fantastic. I mean, Nicholas Hamilton is a great example of that.
Rachel [00:09:32]:
I love the fact that Nicholas has this community that he just embraces. Like, if you have a disability, he just absolutely accepts you into this little community that he has. And I don't even think it has necessarily anything to do with the fact that Lewis is his brother. I think he's just embraced it and he's grown this community on his own. I love it. I love that these drivers just say, you know what, I'm not even going to think about what I can't do and I'm just going to focus on what I can do. It almost brings tears to your eyes, and I know that sounds really sappy, but honestly, to see that representation, it's just amazing.
Belinda [00:10:15]:
Yeah. So he's built his brand around the negative of having a disability, hasn't he?
Rachel [00:10:19]:
Pretty much, absolutely. Yeah, he has.
Belinda [00:10:22]:
And forgive me, I'm going to forget her name, but there's that lady over in Italy in the wheelchair and I'll put a link to her long name, but yeah, she's doing fantastic work in this disability sector as.
Rachel [00:10:38]:
Yeah, and then you've got like brick racing in the UK. Who else have we got?
Belinda [00:10:44]:
Ben.
Rachel [00:10:44]:
Ben Taylor, the know. That's amazing what he's doing for our country, for our sport, for people with a, like, they're just amazing, honestly.
Belinda [00:10:56]:
Yeah. There's a lot of, like you said, different types of disabilities. I've always known previously, speaking to the proprietor of racing with autism, that one of the reasons that motorsport is good for children or adults with autism is because of the continuity of it, going around and around for them to actually get into that headspace and being individual, like, not anyone approaching their personal space and being able to go around. And it's just maybe the challenge is when they get out of the vehicle, asking them how it actually performed. And that communication is a little bit different, but actually on the track, they're in their element.
Rachel [00:11:36]:
Yeah, absolutely. I know personally, my son started off in carding and then he slowly is moving up to. He's been in Toyota. He has got anxiety to the point that he won't leave the house, he won't speak to people. You put him in that car and his focus is just solely on straight ahead. It's something that he can control. It's something that he loves. And like you said, it's that repetitive.
Rachel [00:12:03]:
The going around and around and each lap you try to outdo yourself. I don't know what goes through their mind. I can't comment on that. But it's so good for them to be able to do something that challenges them. But then, like you said, when they get out of the car, there's also that element of, okay, I've done that now I can do this.
Belinda [00:12:26]:
Yeah. And we talked about the invisible disabilities. And previously on the most sport coaching podcast, I had Robert Kilsby come and talk about the veterans and with them dealing with PTSD. And again, it's the similar thought process around just getting out there. The open road, obviously, he's doing rally. So there's the bush, the open road, and just going wild and just in a controlled manner. But just being able to get into that right head space to. That's right away from the anxiety and stuff.
Rachel [00:13:00]:
Yeah, I think you said it best. It's the freedom. It's the freedom. You're not constrained to anything. You're out there, you're doing what you love. Like you said, it's just open, it's free. They're in a world of their own that they control.
Belinda [00:13:18]:
Fantastic. Now, we have mentioned a few times about this wonderful Instagram page that you have. What is the name and what is the objective? We said we're nearly at 200. We've hit 200. Tell us about it.
Rachel [00:13:32]:
Okay, so my Instagram page is called accessible racing life. It's basically just. I mean, it used to be accessible racing mum, because that's what I was. But then I realized life has to be accessible. And obviously the racing element had to be there. So it's just, to me, it's like a culmination of everything. Accessibility, inclusion, awareness, advocacy. I just want people to really know that there are options out there for them.
Rachel [00:14:04]:
They don't have to be afraid. Public transport is a really big fear for people who are going to events like this. It's so daunting. It can be so scary. They become embarrassed so easily. And for them to know that they have accessibility options going to these kinds of events, I just want to get it out there. I want everybody to be able to experience it.
Belinda [00:14:30]:
Yeah. So just to add a little bit more content to what Rachel is saying. So on the page, Rach kind of does the research and she will say, okay, you're attending this event this weekend. This is the information I found about accessibility and travel options, which is fantastic. So obviously, with the formal one coming up in Australia soon, she'll have all that information about that. And again, it's just going through on the stories on the post. You can read about it. And I found too, as well, like other fans and drivers, athletes, the motorsport community, all generally will make a comment and they will also add some feedback or other comments like, oh, actually, there's a better drop off that's going to be closer to the spot, or it's going to be closer to gate five, or it's just not advertised.
Rachel [00:15:17]:
Yes.
Belinda [00:15:18]:
I guess the common thing in what we're trying to do today is get around the communication side of things. How do you think organizers can communicate it better? I know we spoke about.
Rachel [00:15:35]:
I don't know.
Belinda [00:15:36]:
I don't have the answer. You might not have the answer either, but I really like. Yeah. How do you think that the category owners or the event managers can get the word out that the event is accessible for all, whether toilets are, whether the best food locations are the lowest sounding point for the cars, going past all of those kind of things. And I think you and I've talked off air about it before, it's actually a role in itself. Apart from whether it's ma or the actual event organizers, we feel like it is a full time position available if.
Rachel [00:16:16]:
Someone does have the resources to. Actually, I'm here. I'm willing.
Belinda [00:16:20]:
That's what I said for you to come and offer that service.
Rachel [00:16:25]:
Yeah, well, I think blogs like ours are a really great starting place, but I think the thing that I really want to make clear is that it just needs to be the norm. You look online for the information and it's like pages and pages and pages on. You can do this, you can do this. There's this tiny little segment about accessibility that may be like three paragraphs long if you're lucky. I think it just needs to be made the norm instead of hiding it right down the bottom of the page and having three little paragraphs, why don't they just have a full page dedicated to disability, to accessibility that would be a great starting point, I think. Social media pages, like social media goes so far and so wide, and I know the OZGP, they've done such a great job. Like, I can't fault them, especially with their accessibility options. But, yeah, I think they really need to listen to people with a lived experience to know how best to get it out there to people.
Belinda [00:17:32]:
Yeah. And I would also love to see from a sponsor's perspective about the activations, which ones are applicable to what, or if there's any restrictions of why they can't. Like, if there's more flashing lights to have, why they could or couldn't actually do that event without discriminating, but just more of an occlusive, like, oh, if you think about doing this, just know that sometimes when you're doing the simulators, they actually vibrate and things like that. Just having more of an explanation around what each of those activations do.
Rachel [00:18:11]:
Yeah, that's right. Absolutely. They just need more of it. Like you said, more of an explanation. There's no real answer to it. It's just that it just needs to be the norm. That's the only answer that I can come up with. And I know there's a lot of red tape around.
Rachel [00:18:31]:
We've got to be politically correct. We've got to watch the words that we say. No, you don't need to walk on eggshells. You just need to straight up say, this is what's going on. This is how we're going to deal with it. These are our options for you.
Belinda [00:18:44]:
Yeah. And as you know, sometimes I go to the track and I take your photos and I send it to. And I always feel it's like you guys are just in the box, those with disability, and it's fantastic. And I feel like some organizers are just ticking a box by saying, we've got a box. We've ticked the box by saying, here, we've got a ramp. We've given them a grandstand. But that's not what you want with the fans and part of everyday life. It is normal.
Rachel [00:19:18]:
Yeah. And I can give you a few really good examples. One of my friends in America, the American Grand Prix, so they had really good accessibility options, but the one thing that she said to me was.
Belinda [00:19:34]:
Snow, are you there's. Are you there? Yeah, sorry, I don't know what you. That's okay. Just go from. One of my friends was.
Rachel [00:20:09]:
One of my friends was in Texas at the American Grand Prix, and they have really great accessibility options there. So there's a grandstand for people with wheelchairs. But the thing that she said to me was the gate that you have to come into to get to that grandstand. It's the most rockiest, uneven piece of ground that you have ever seen before, she said. I don't know how people with a wheelchair or even just like, mobility issues can navigate that. So that's one thing. My other thing is Gold Coast 500 amazing event. But just like you said, just putting a ramp in there, you've got ten people standing on that ramp trying to see the track.
Rachel [00:20:52]:
You've got people coming through that can't get through. And it's just like that follow through is so important because you need to be consistent with your messaging, and you need to be consistent with acting on that messaging.
Belinda [00:21:06]:
Yes. On a side note, I went to the pink concert last week, and I was very excited. I took your photo, which they actually had. I think it's more like Marvel Stadium, but they actually said about disability, like, there's a room, there's a ramp, there's all of those things. But it just was on one slide and it went quickly through, and I was like, again, I feel like they're trying. They're trying to tick boxes. Wasn't completely there, but it's a start.
Rachel [00:21:32]:
And it's a start, and maybe it needs to be that. We have a guide for this, we have a guide for that. Maybe we need a guide for accessibility. Maybe you've got an information sheet, you've got an information sign in front of you. Maybe we need a separate one for disability. You've got 100 people standing there looking at this key to try and figure out where they're going. Just put 110 centimeters to the side. For people with a disabilities, they don't want to be crowded around others, they're in wheelchairs.
Rachel [00:22:05]:
Some of them can't stand up. They can't see that high. It's little changes, little adaptations that you just need to think about. But people who are running these events, they haven't lived a life in our shoes. They don't know what we need for that to happen.
Belinda [00:22:24]:
And so if anyone is looking for a disability and inclusion advisor, Rachel is.
Rachel [00:22:30]:
Available, 100% happy to take on that role.
Belinda [00:22:33]:
That's right.
Rachel [00:22:34]:
I'll do it for free.
Belinda [00:22:36]:
Yes, that's right. She will do it for free. But again, as I was saying, look, a lot of people actually go into your Instagram account and starting to add a little bit. So if you guys are a fan or you are a driver, and this is your life, please race over and drone Rachel's Instagram page again, which is called accessible.
Rachel [00:22:59]:
Underscore racing, underscore life.
Belinda [00:23:02]:
Yeah. And you can dm her, like, photos of anything that's good or bad and put a spin on it and make it into a positive thing, but if not, it's also growth. And again, like Rachel said, she's a very advocate of this process and that she'll be happy to take it up with the organizers. Know, write a little email and just go, hey, have you considered X-Y-Z for us?
Rachel [00:23:29]:
I will. Each and every survey until we get what we want.
Belinda [00:23:34]:
Or an email. Just direct.
Rachel [00:23:38]:
Not listen to emails, though.
Belinda [00:23:41]:
But that's why we're doing podcasts and that's why we can make a movement about it, can't we?
Rachel [00:23:47]:
Yeah, absolutely. I'm up for that.
Belinda [00:23:50]:
Fantastic. Well, Rachel, thank you very much for your time today and bring something really important to life. Is there anything else you'd like to share with us today?
Rachel [00:23:58]:
Look, just. Thank you. Thank you for your support. If there's somebody out there that you know, somebody who is a motorsport fan, somebody living with a disability, if they need support, if they want someone to talk to, our page is a safe space. We're happy to have you there. Just come along, say hi, let us know what your experiences have been. And thank you again for having me. I'm so privileged to be able to do this interview with you.
Belinda [00:24:24]:
No, it's my privilege to have you. Thank you. We finally got there, but yes, again, Rachel has a beautiful Instagram page and like she said, it's very supportive. Everybody is on the same wave and we're all trying to sing the same note and just to get the word out there and just to make motorsport a better community than what it already is. So, Rachel, thank you very much. Obviously, Rachel's details, that Instagram page will be attached to the show notes and go check it out.
Rachel [00:24:57]:
Lovely. Thank you so much.
Belinda [00:24:58]:
Thanks, rach. Have a good night.
Rachel [00:25:00]:
You too. Bye.
