It is with joy and immense sadness that I write this tribute to Christopher Newell. Joy – in having known a person who has touched me with his kindness, friendship and his intellect and immense sadness because he is no longer with us.
I am sure that I share these feelings with many of you. In fact, this tribute on behalf of the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO) is a mix of professional and personal experiences from people whose lives he touched.
There are so many facets to Christopher (priest, consumer advocate, bioethicist, researcher, writer, educator and many more). However, I will concentrate on the one where we knew him best. Christopher represented AFDO on numerous committees but two significant ones reflect his passion in working for the improvement of accessibility in technology especially telecommunications. He was Chair of the Communications Alliance Disability Council and a Council member of the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman. Christopher was also the previous co-Chair of the Telstra Consumer Consultative Council.
Christopher spent nearly every week travelling to give keynote addresses, to chair and to participate actively on committees. Many a time have we received phone calls from him at airports! When he couldn't travel, there were times he chaired meetings by teleconference from his bed.
Christopher wrote incessantly – books, articles, conference papers, opinion pieces and of course he had a regular column in Link.
I first referenced Christopher's papers in 1995 at the International Symposium on Human Factors in Telecommunications. But I really got to know him nearly ten years ago when I started with TEDICORE (Telecommunications and Disability Consumer Representation). Christopher was on our Project Advisory Body and later on our Consultative Expert Panel. He was an expert of the highest calibre and we were privileged for the involvement and support he gave to TEDICORE.
He pushed the envelope, he was a rebel and like any rebel had strong beliefs. He could make people feel uncomfortable. He was known to use the polite term “Richard Cranium” for people who he felt were unreasonable.
Christopher left a lasting impression – his quirky sense of humour with his voice impersonations, his sayings when calling a meeting to order “ladies and gentlemen and little furry creatures from Alpha Centauri”, his outrageousness, his hand of friendship, his support in time of need.
How often he would launch into an unsuspecting person about disabilist language – “Oh, does the disabled toilet really work, it sounded like it was out of order!”. His reference to himself as a “crip” - using it in a provocative way to grab people's attention and to make a point.
While Christopher's time with us was too short, he packed his life with vigour and an unbelievable drive that was the equivalent of another person's entire life. He loved and was loved.
While he was tough and could be impatient with institutions, he did this through a strong sense of principle. Most important was his human side – his friendship. The time he took to help, to guide. He mentored people without them knowing it – this was a symbol of his skill and his caring.
Gerard Goggin, his friend and co-author spoke at Christopher's funeral:
“In friendship, Christopher offered us an ethical and spiritual treasury. As well as speaking, Christopher listened. Indeed he taught us the great power and significance at personal and public levels that lies in listening — in who listens to whom, and how the listener grasps and acts upon what they have heard.”
Christopher's wife and family were deeply important and gave him nourishment. His wife, Jill spoke about their deep love and read the words from the Pink Floyd song “Shine on you crazy diamond” at his service of thanksgiving. This is part of the last verse:
How do we perpetuate his memory? Christopher wrote in the June 2008 issue of Link of the need for leadership by people with disabilities at all levels of government, unions, NGOs and in broader society. We do need more strong leadership in the disability movement. Discussions are underway on ways to support young people with disabilities to do this.
What the establishment may now consider undoable in terms of accessibility, should, with attitudinal change, be taken for granted. Hopefully, this will be within our lifetimes – however long or short they are.
Now that Christopher is at peace, let's continue the good fight in his name!
Gunela Astbrink
National Coordinator, TEDICORE
(Article as published in Link Magazine)