I had the privilege of standing at Central Station with my colleagues from the Physical Disability Council of NSW and a team of volunteers for the International Day of People with Disability (IDPWD) today. We were there to do something simple, but powerful: hand out Show You Care badges, designed to encourage passengers to offer their seat to someone who may need it, particularly when that need isn’t visible.

At face value, it was a small campaign. Some badges, a conversation, a polite moment in a crowded station. But as the morning unfolded, I realised just how big this moment really was.

The badge itself was the brainchild of Anirudh Kathirvel, a school student from Melbourne who wanted to spark awareness and kindness on public transport. His idea was as brilliant as it was gentle: give people a way to signal their need, without having to explain or justify themselves. For many people living with physical disability, fatigue, chronic illness or pain, asking for a seat can feel more confronting than the condition itself.

Throughout the morning, I spoke with commuters from all walks of life. Some hadn’t ever considered the discomfort of needing a seat but not feeling “disabled enough” to ask. Others opened up about their own experiences managing invisible illness, being turned down when requesting support or just the ongoing mental fatigue of advocating for themselves in public.

And then there were those quiet, beautiful moments of people taking a badge, thanking us, saying, “I’ve needed something like this for years.”

This was one of my final events with PDCN, as I prepare to step into a new role in the public service in January. After years of working in community-led advocacy, this moment felt particularly poignant. It reminded me that impact doesn’t always happen in offices or reports: it happens in conversation, in connection, and in showing up.

This was one of those rare days where I left feeling fuller than when I arrived: emotionally, socially, and professionally.

If there’s one thing I took away from IDPWD this year, it’s this: a more inclusive world starts with the smallest of gestures. One seat. One badge. One moment of thoughtfulness.

And hopefully, many more to come.