Disability activist remembered

Inspirational lawyer and disability activist Matt Laffan has passed away after several weeks fighting health complications.

Diagnosed with a rare genetic order at birth, doctors gave Mr Laffan one week to live but he persevered for thirty-nine years, pushing boundaries in both his personal and professional life.

On his website, Mr Laffan claimed that a sense of urgency was cast upon him from his infancy, compelling him to apply himself to his studies at Sydney University and his later roles as lawyer, 2004 candidate for the City of Sydney Lord Mayor, Board Member of the Disability Council of New South Wales, Director of Paraquad of New South Wales and member of NSW Rugby Judiciary, to name but a few.

Mr Laffan was also a keen supporter of Rugby League and an avid traveller. He began the first Australian disability travel website in 1998, to inspire others to follow in his path.

“It does not really matter where we are travelling to, as long as it is somewhere beyond the front gate. The journey down to the south coast, or over to Canada to the Rocky Mountains, is as equally important in as much that we are seeing something new, trying a new experience and, hopefully in the process, discovering how much more there is to life that we can enjoy,” he said on his website.

Mr Laffan’s funeral was held on Friday March 6 at St Francis of Assisi Church in Paddington. His parents, Dick and Jenny Laffan, are asking that anyone who wants to offer their support during this time consider donating to the Matt Laffan Memorial Scholarship.

As a tribute, his colleagues will set up the public fund in Mr Laffan’s name to support future students with disabilities at the University of Sydney’s St John’s College. To learn more about Matt Laffan’s work, and to donate to the public fund, visit www.mattlaffan.com.au