Dozens of people with disability have raised concerns with a royal commission about their experiences during the coronavirus pandemic. The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability will hold a public hearing next month focused on the pandemic’s impact.
endent disability advocacy is vital in safeguarding rights, responding to and preventing violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability. To demonstrate this important work, DANA is collecting case studies, stories, examples and quotes to include in its submissions to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability (the Disability Royal Commission or DRC for short).
The training reinforced that people living with a disability want the same qualities in a counsellor as non-disabled people. “The fact that the training was done by people with lived experience made it really meaningful and gave integrity to the content,” she said.
Closing date: September 11, 2020
This issues paper on the experiences of First Nations people with disability is asking the public to share their views about what they think governments, institutions and communities can do to prevent violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of First Nations peoples with disability. Examples of laws, policies and practices in different settings that are not working or working well are of particular interest. This can be in areas such as education, healthcare, workplaces, the justice system, home, online communities, and families.
Celebrating his 10th “truly free” day of freedom since he was 16, Indigenous man Daryl Carr, 35, who has a mild intellectual disability, had a single message. “I don’t want to see the mob go through what I went through,” said Mr Carr, a Wiradjuri man who has spent most of his life behind bars. He was released from prison in late May after a NSW Supreme Court judge found that Mr Carr had been cruelly detained on a five-year extended supervision order for 11 years, sometimes for “minor breaches”.
It’s been a traumatic time for Australia’s disability community. In Adelaide, Police are investigating the recent death of Ann Marie Smith, she had cerebral palsy and it’s alleged she died as a result of severe neglect. Earlier this week, the father of a Brisbane girl with Down Syndrome was charged with her murder. Yesterday, authorities discovered two teenage boys with autism locked in a room in squalid conditions, their father lay dead in another room. Each case has angered the community and it’s stoking fear among some who live with a disability.
Closing date: August 28, 2020
This issues paper looks at the use and impact of restrictive practices on people with disability and seeks to find out about the effects of restrictive practice on people with disability. The Commission is also interested in understanding how laws, policies and practices around restrictive practices can be improved to better prevent and protect people with disability from violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.
Free and confidential counselling and support services are available to support people with disability, their family, carers and supporters impacted by the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability (also known as the Disability Royal Commission). In Victoria, these services are provided by Relationship Australia Victoria and drummond street services. The two organisations’ services are independent and separate from the Disability Royal Commission.
Closing date: August 14, 2020
The Commission is looking at the experiences of people with disability in employment. Why are people with disability less likely to be employed and have lower incomes than people without disability? The issues paper is also seeking information about people’s experiences of discrimination at work and how well specific programs designed to increase the employment of people with disability are working.
Closing date: July 31, 2020
The Rights and attitudes issues paper is designed to assist the Royal Commission in its investigation about people’s awareness and understanding of the rights of people with disability. It also seeks feedback about community attitudes towards people with disability and about how well advocacy is working for people with disability, to prevent or help respond to violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.
The lack of awareness of our human rights permeates throughout the health sector and recent hearingsby the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability have shed light on the human cost. Health sector responses have been a life-and-death matter for people with disabilities for a very long time. Throw in a global pandemic and reforms to health sector policy and practice have never been more urgent.
Closing date: July 14, 2020
The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability is seeking information about the experiences of people with disability during recent emergencies in Australia. ‘The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic our country is facing comes just months after the summer bushfire crisis. Both of these events have had a profound effect on the Australian population. ‘We already know that people with disability can be severely affected by emergencies and may be at a higher risk of experiencing violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation at these times.
pause on all public hearings in the disability royal commission to stop the spread of COVID-19 to people with disability is a good chance to iron out current issues, disability advocates say. Commission chair Ronald Sackville AO QC announced on Monday that hearings in Brisbane and Alice Springs would be postponed due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19 to people with disability.
Over and over the last two weeks, the same words echoed. They didn’t listen to me. They didn’t see me. They didn’t think I was worth helping.
Ms Mitchell’s testimony at the third public hearing held in western Sydney this month has been one of many to shine a light on the challenges of getting treatment for complex medical conditions, and navigating Australia’s health system.