Honouring Ros Harman
The entire MSWA staff and neuro community is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of former MSWA Board Chair, longstanding Bulletin contributor and Client, Ros Harman.
21 March 1962 - 3 March 2025
Ros Harman was a member of MSWA for 34 years. Throughout her life, she was the walking embodiment of MSWA’s purpose to empower people with neurological conditions to live their best lives. Ros spent 18 years on the MSWA Board, with 18 months of those as President.
Growing up in the coastal town of Albany, she later moved to Perth to pursue her tertiary education in teaching.
In 1988, just after her 26th birthday, she noticed herself feeling uncoordinated and clumsy when playing basketball and walking to the high school where she worked as an English teacher.
This sparked Ros’ first visit to a neurologist’s clinic, where after a series of tests and scans, she was diagnosed with MS. MRIs had just been made available as a diagnostic tool for MS, and Ros was one of the first people in Perth to be scanned for MS lesions.
Much-loved Bulletin contributor
It was not long after her diagnosis that she encountered MSWA. One of the first people from the organisation she met was Dr Greg Brotherson, former Board Member, co-founder and editor of Bulletin for 36 years.
“He found out that I was an English teacher and encouraged me to start writing articles for Bulletin,” Ros recalled.
Since 2000, Ros became a regular and much-loved contributor to the Bulletin. She later stepped into the role as a guest editor for the publication in 2020.
Ros was passionate about writing and public speaking, and many Clients have followed her honest and informative articles about living with a neurological condition . She never shied away from sharing her personal stories, struggles and lived experience with MS . Despite the challenges, Ros’ writing shines with positivity, optimism and a constant drive to make a difference . Her sharp wit, sense of humour and vibrant personality is always evident throughout her work.
Authoring over 80 articles, Ros shared snippets of her daily life including meeting one of her favourite celebrities and writers, Tim Fergurson.
Ros recounted, “when I finally get to meet Tim as he signed my book, he mentioned seeing me as we crossed the road earlier. I tried not to swoon in case I fell out of my wheelchair!”
President and Board member
As a long-time Client, Ros brought invaluable insight to the Board, shaped largely by her lived experience. Throughout her tenure, her ambition was to support the organisation’s mission: advancing the development of new facilities for people with neurological conditions, enhancing services, and championing research.
She continued giving back to the community, before stepping down in 2022 due to her MND diagnosis.
A resilient advocate
In 2006, she was awarded the Disability Sector Media Award for her Universal Kitchen article in the Spice Magazine, highlighting the daily challenges overcome by people with disabilities in a light-hearted approach.
After dining at restaurants, she would publish reviews highlighting the accessibility or lack thereof at these establishments. She often spoke up when things weren’t right. “I like to imagine a different world. In a world that was designed with more thought for people with disability, there would be no barriers to stop anyone from doing whatever they wanted or needed to live a fulfilling life.”
“Sometimes I like to imagine a world that was designed for people with disability. Can you imagine that?”, the opening of Ros’ 2021 Bulletin piece, Imagine.
“It’s not too many years ago that people with disability were expected to stay at home. Out of sight, out of mind.”
Ros has always been a strong advocate for accessibility in homes, local neighbourhoods and especially in public spaces.
She took it a step further by joining the South Perth Advisory Committee after facing accessibility challenges that made it difficult to navigate her local neighbourhood in her wheelchair. Ros’ advocacy and meritorious service were also recognised with MS Australia’s 2018 John Studdy Award. This honour acknowledged Ros’ governance and leadership to fund MS research, in addition to being an inspiration and ambassador for the MS community.
A final farewell
MSWA hosted a special tribute for Ros where Clients, staff and the wider community were invited. The touching ceremony celebrated Ros’ impressive accolades over her life and most importantly, her resiliency and kindness.
At the tribute, Chris, Ros’ sister shared a few words from Ros’ 2018 Bulletin article The Day I Changed.
“I would try being a pessimist, but I just know I would be no good at it.
Of course, if I think for too long there are a few things I could whinge about, but I usually try not to think for too long.
I could whinge about using a wheelchair to get around, but the alternative is to not get around, so I don’t.
I could whinge about the difficulty of finding ACROD parking when I go out, but I’m glad to be going out, so I don’t. I sometimes just park across two normal parking bays instead and no one’s complained yet, or at least not to my face.
I could whinge about buildings that don’t have wheelchair access, but I don’t. Oh, hang on - yes I do, but that is perfectly reasonable to whinge about so it doesn’t count.
I could whinge about having MS, and sometimes I do, but I’ve got a life to live so I haven’t got energy for whinging too long.
Like most people, I want to be happy.”
It’s hard to summarise all the amazing feats Ros Harman achieved in her lifetime, but one thing is certain - her legacy lives on, and the impact she’s had on the neuro community is immeasurable.
