Changing attitudes to disability

This week, I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing Knox Gibson, an eighteen-year-old from Orange, NSW, who, along with many others of his generation is quite literally redefining what it means to live with a disability. The interview was for the podcast I am working on called “The Limb Shift”.

It was fascinating to speak with Knox and hear his perspective as an eighteen-year-old; it offered a striking contrast to my own experience as someone who has recently turned 60.

At just three years old—shortly before his fourth birthday—Knox was involved in a serious farm accident where he lost most of his right arm. Yet, spend even five minutes talking to him and you quickly realise that this event hasn’t slowed him down—it has propelled him onto

While many of us were just trying to get through the last few years, Knox was busy making his mark on the global stage. He recently starred as Bobbin in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, delivering a fantastic performance in the fifth instalment of the massive franchise.

Beyond the screen, Knox is a powerhouse in the water. He is a keen swimmer and possibly looking towards the Paralympics.

One of the most insightful parts of our chat focused on disability visibility. Knox noted that while we are seeing progress—we pointed to major brands like Audi featuring disability in mainstream ads—there is still a distinct generational shift occurring:

Lots of companies are now featuring people with disabilities in their advertising, though there is still a long way to go.

Knox observes that while representation is at different stages globally, Australia is seeing a lot more visibility in the media, leading to more jobs and opportunities.

We also got into a really interesting discussion about different generational attitudes to disability. Knox reflected on how older generations often default to a mindset that he needs help with everything.

While he acknowledges that people mean well and “are only being nice,” his competitive nature drives him to prove assumptions about his limitations wrong.

Here’s a short except from our chat.

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Podcast Project Update

This interview with Knox is just one of ABOUT twenty I have recorded so far for this project. Each conversation has brought a unique perspective on the resilience and diverse experiences of the limb-different community. We are on track for likely podcast launch in April or May.