I was a relatively intelligent high school student but not everyone believed I would attend university.
Completing my Bachelor of Commerce degree and receiving first class honours was a milestone, then I saw completing my PhD as simply another challenge.
I think I have always been determined to prove everyone wrong.
I worked in the head office of a bank before I came to UNE. Now I enjoy my academic work, the challenge of research and teaching. There are times when I have been able to positively impact students' lives and that's really satisfying.
My career accommodates my vision impairment quite well and has afforded me the flexibility to have three children.
Technology enables me to do my job. I use specialised screen-reading software, which consists of a synthesised voice that reads out the text on my screen. I can access most other regular computer software, create PowerPoints and mark assignments.
But it's not always easy. People inside and outside the university can find someone who is vision-impaired confronting. They often don't know what to do or say.
I went to a large meeting last year for business academics and a person came up to me and said: 'are you alright dear? are you in the right place?' They couldn't see that there was a place for me there.
My UNE colleagues are absolutely fantastic. They don't see the vision impairment; they see me. At the same time though, their understanding means they are ready to offer assistance. If I'm walking around the corridors, they ask if I need help. Some will automatically read out what's on a PowerPoint for my benefit.
However, many people still struggle to understand what it means to have a disability. It's not that they are being prejudiced; it's mostly due to a lack of experience. This is despite the fact that one in five Australians have a disability and that there are a wide range of disabilities in society - social, physical and psychological.
I'm an independent person and I don't like asking for help.
When you have a disability, you feel like you are constantly having to prove what abilities you do have, always trying to break down misconceptions.
When I fly, people often assume I need a wheelchair, but I can walk with my cane; I just need guidance.
I'm on the Diversity Advisory Group at UNE and served on the board of Vision Australia for 10 years. I love to advocate for people from diverse backgrounds.
When I teach, especially in Human Resources, I show students diversity in action and try to open their minds to every individual's potential.
There is a need, in any workplace, for diversity awareness training. Trainers can deliver training on inclusivity and diversity, but staff also need to hear how it is from someone with a disability or from a diverse background. Until then, you can't truly appreciate the issues.
Employers need to think about workplace design - in terms of the job and the physical workplace but also how things are done and the technology used - but attitudes pose the greatest difficulties.
For inclusivity to really work, we need to create environments of people who will embrace diversity - people who don't have a predetermined idea of how a person will fit, and don't automatically pull down the shutters.
It's well documented that a diverse workforce helps businesses to better understand their products and clients, and that they benefit from a range of experiences and opinions. That kind of workplace is reflective of society and also boosts the bottom line. While most HR departments now have policies around equity, diversity and inclusion, changing attitudes and behaviour is another matter.
I used to have an issue around disclosing my disability when I applied for a job. I didn't want to be automatically eliminated in the first round; I wanted to get to the interview on my own merits and then challenge it there. I've been very fortunate throughout my career to have had mostly positive experiences.
I consider it important to show that my vision impairment is not a barrier, but merely a challenge that can be overcome. It's all possible.
Senior Lecturer in Business at the University of New England, Dr Theresa Smith-Ruig, is one of just a handful of vision-impaired academics teaching in Australia. She passionately promotes equity and inclusion, and her research spans career development, workplace organisation and social policy.
