People with Disability Australia (PWDA) is calling for urgent reform to ensure the human rights of people with disability are upheld in Australia, outlining 10 actions that all Australian governments must prioritise.
Disability advocates say tighter regulation of NDIS service providers is needed after an ABC investigation uncovered “sickening” practices being used against children with disabilities. The ABC’s Four Corners revealed children with autism and intellectual disabilities were unlawfully pinned to the ground facedown by up to six workers as part of a controversial therapy funded by the NDIS.
If you have read anything about the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in the last few years, you will have encountered many metaphors. The NDIS is the “lifeboat in the ocean”, “an oasis in the desert”, “a plane being built mid-flight” or a “limitless magic pudding”.
Two of Australia’s human rights leaders have expressed grave concerns in the wake of shocking videos broadcast on ABC’s Four Corners program, which showed children with intellectual disabilities being repeatedly restrained as part of a radical treatment funded by the NDIS.
In September, the NDIS Commission released the results of their Own Motion Inquiry into platform providers in the NDIS marketplace. This was the result of months of research and consultation by the Commission, following years of the strong opinions from fans and critics alike.
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) was initially conceived as a human rights-based initiative to improve the lives of Australians with disabilities. However, it has increasingly come under scrutiny for operational shortcomings that echo the failures of the “cruel, crude and illegal“ Robodebt scheme. Several well-known and experienced disability advocates, along with peak disability advocacy … Continued
This week’s Four Corners exposes criminals, opportunists and registered providers who have been busted exploiting loopholes to overcharge and defraud the NDIS. The revelations come following a three-month crowdsourced investigation which resulted in submissions from hundreds of NDIS participants, families and workers.
From his Canberra Raiders bedspread to his own basketball awards, Ehren Keys’s home is a shrine to sport. Decorating his unit however he sees fit is just one of the perks of independent living.
More than four million Australians live with a disability. Their rights are protected by a variety of laws, some international – like the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (UNCRPD) – and some national, like the Disability Discrimination Act (Cth) (DDA). But despite the existence of these laws, people with disability … Continued
Discovering mobility aids have been damaged or broken during air travel is not new to anyone with a disability — but even disability advocate Akii Ngo was shocked by the state of their electric wheelchair after a Qantas flight last month.
Nurse Linda Karafili remembers getting the call from her client. He was “absolutely desperate”. The man, who had a history of severe mental health issues, had been coerced to move from a boarding house with support services to a house in outer Melbourne, away from everyone he knew. “He was … frightened of staying, but … Continued
A woman born with a form of spina bifida who survived three major spinal surgeries was told she wouldn’t be eligible for NDIS funding because she isn’t “disabled enough”. SUBSCRIBE for the full story.
Consider a packed, dimly lit nightclub full of loud raucous conversations and music. It can cause sensory overload for neurodiverse people, prompting them to wonder if they should have stayed home because they find it incredibly difficult to acclimatise to an unaccommodating reality. It is far more difficult to meet new people and form friendships … Continued
For four-and-a-half years, the disability community has bared its soul. The country has learned how we’ve been sexually abused, physically attacked in our homes or in public, had our children removed, and discriminated against in every aspect of our lives. In some cases, our mothers were told by medical professionals not to have us in the first place.