Senator Lines told 7.30 she was “shocked” by the evidence the committee heard. “Parents told us they went to ministers, to the equal opportunity [commissioner], simply to get their child enrolled at the local school, which every other parent takes for granted,” she said.
Children with disabilities are frequently discriminated against in Australian schools. It’s an issue that has been ongoing for years, with reports showing that little has improved since 2002.
Disability support pensioners whose health is likely to improve could soon be medically reviewed – and kicked off the payment.
In investigating the abuse of disabled people, Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass found a system where process rates above the needs and human rights of people. We must support the independence and decision making of people with disability, and never more steadfastly than when they make allegations of abuse. We must support the independence and decision … Continued
Miss Littley was diagnosed with a brain tumour at 27. After an operation, she had bleeding on the brain and a stroke, which left her without speech or mobility. The 29-year-old now lives with her parents Kevin and Carol Littley, after a stint in an aged care facility. “If I had spare money, I’d be … Continued
THE past 10 months have been a dream come true for Calvin Lui, who hasn’t let an intellectual disability get in the way of landing an important job with Victoria Police.
This matter was referred by the Senate to the Senate Community Affairs References Committee for inquiry and report: on 11 February 2015. Over 160 submissions were received and public hearings were held across Australia from April to October 2015. This is the final report from the Inquiry. The committee finds that violence, abuse and neglect … Continued
The investigation commenced in December 2014 with Phase One tabled in June 2015 focusing on the effectiveness of oversight. Phase Two examines incident reporting and management in a range of environments for people with disability in Victoria. Phase Two of the investigation uncovered a deep fear of making reports from people with disability, their families … Continued
There is growing anger about the delay and disability groups are calling for an urgent focus on housing to stem what they say is the growing tide of young people entering nursing homes.
As an exercise in social reform, grassroots campaigning, and organizing techniques, NDIS has been a salutory experience in how not to reform social policy and service delivery. The supreme irony is that innovative person-centred practice had been undertaken quietly and selectively in various parts of Australia from the mid-1980s with negligible cost to the taxpayers, … Continued
A damning report on the neglect and abuse of people with a disability has used the choking death of Canberra woman Stephanie Fry to warn of the dangers of staff turnover and the increasing reliance on casual support workers.
I know a lot about the disability sector but it strikes me that when we talk about this we don’t discuss the real issues. Like how come so many disabled people who want to work never get job interviews? We don’t talk about how we can help ensure people with disabilities have the opportunity to … Continued
The Bolshy Divas describe themselves as “disability activists in the style of feminist masked avengers”. In April, six divas appeared before the Senate’s community affairs committee for a hearing into the abuse of people with disability. They arrived with a bundle of white roses. Taking turns, the divas read out 40 examples to illustrate the … Continued
A new survey of business attitudes to disability reveals that many companies are in danger of breaching the Disability Discrimination Act, as well as missing out on thousands of dollars by neglecting a potential workforce. CEO of the Australian Network on Disability, Suzanne Colbert, joins James Carleton on RN Breakfast.
Evidence suggests that when individuals have greater choice and control over their services, they’re more likely to have better outcomes and to make more efficient and effective use of the funding.