Zac’s story: living the life he wants

Zac doesn't see his disability as being a big part of his life. Like many other 20 somethings, Zac is independent and headstrong.

“I don’t really find any problems living with a disability at the moment. I’m just a slow learner that’s it.”

I was a slow learner through school, and there was a lot of math and religion which I didn’t really get. So when the work started to get too hard, they put me in a special education class. I did the HSC though which was hard because I didn’t understand half of it, but I got through it!

After school my girlfriend, who I met at Tafe, was actually the one who told me about getting a job at Aruma. So I started there and I’ve liked it ever since. I work for Facility Services doing gardening, mowing, and whipper snippering. The best thing about my job is working with my friends.

I live with my mum and dad in Belrose and also with my younger sister. But my sister is a bit naughty at times, she plays loud music and leaves dirty cutlery and plates all through the kitchen and it drives me crazy!

She likes to play games with me too – if I borrow her car she leaves no fuel in it for me, so I have to fill it up! Pretty normal brother sister stuff hey?

But deep down we get on really well, and we were really close when we were growing up – we used to go swimming a lot together, and she helped me out with some things.

I’ve already learned to do so many things on my own. I learnt about cooking from my parents and going to cooking school at Tafe. I can cook all kinds of stuff like schnitzel, tortilla wraps, and steak.

What’s in my future? Probably one day I want to get married and have a family, but don’t know when. I don’t know what I want to do in the future, it’s too early to say at the moment. We’ll have to wait and see.

– Zac