Carer accused of filming and abusing disabled children
A disability carer allegedly secretly filmed videos of himself physically and verbally abusing five vulnerable adults and sexually abusing two children in western Sydne
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Victoria eyes revamp of prisoner mental health services
The Victorian government has admitted it needs to overhaul the way prisoners with mental illnesses and cognitive impairments are treated, concerned they are over-represented in jail, suffer more in custody and are more likely to reoffend on release.
Melbourne carer jailed for sexual assaults
A Melbourne disability carer sexually assaulted two intellectually disabled women in his care within an hour, telling one of them not to say anything or he would lose his job.
Disabled and with IQ of 50, one man seems destined for juvenile detention
Children’s Court president Judge Amanda Chambers has lashed out at the Department of Health and Human Services for leaving her with little option but to send a profoundly disabled young man – who may not understand what he has done wrong – to juvenile detention.
Why compassion rather than discrimination should inform our permanent visas policies
Australia has changed the way it decides whether children with Down syndrome and other conditions, can migrate permanently to Australia. But the changes don’t go far enough, according to Mary Crock.
Many sick and disabled people are refused permanent visas. We need compassion not discrimination
Australia can ensure immigration does not result in undue burden without ditching fairness and humanity. A good starting point would be “nett benefit” health rules that measure a migrant’s contributions as well as projected costs.
People with disability are more likely to be victims of crime – here’s why
Up to 90% of women with disability have been sexually assaulted. People with disability are three times as likely to die prematurely than the general population from causes that could have been prevented with better quality care. But to provide victims with justice, we need to better understand why people with disabilities are more vulnerable to abuse and assault.
Federal Government must fix gaping hole in the Disability Discrimination Act
People with disability have been dealt a blow, with the Federal Government refusing to fix a significant problem with the law that stops discrimination in employment, education, transport and more.
Is life getting better or worse for people with disabilities?
A recent study from our Centre of Research Excellence in Disability and Health(CRE-DH) has confirmed what we already know: people with disabilities experience discrimination and disadvantage in many areas of their lives. But our study findings are especially worrying because they suggest that, in most aspects of life, inequities between working-age Australians with and without disabilities are persisting, and in some areas growing.
International disability rights and the dilemma of domestic courts
Law plays an important role in tackling this inequality and exclusion. For the past decade, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (the Disability Convention) – an instrument of international law – has been both a catalyst and guide for legislative reform enhancing the equality and inclusion of disabled people. To what extent, though, is this Disability Convention influencing domestic case law?
Outrage after woman with profound disabilities told to pay back NDIS funds
A supreme court judge has issued a stunning public condemnation of the National Disability Insurance Agency, finding it tried to recoup funds with “no proper basis” from a woman with profound disabilities, and then came dangerously close to contempt of court.
Human rights report calls for new approach to tackle violence against people with disabilities
When Nicole Lee’s husband was removed from her home after she disclosed a decade of abuse to hospital staff following a suicide attempt, it took her eight weeks to get a shower.
Disabilities in prison – a horror story in our backyard
As the report confirms, many people with disabilities, through lack of support, find themselves on a pathway to prison and they are treated badly when they arrive being deprived of the support in prison that was not provided to them in the community.
Unconvicted, Indigenous, disabled man is free after 543 days in jail
An intellectually disabled man who spent 18 months in jail despite being found unfit to stand trial has been released from custody after 543 days.
Sunsuper faces legal action over alleged ‘improper’ payments for disability benefits
The former fruit picker and cleaner, who was injured at work in July 2016, is locked in a fight with Sunsuper, one of Australia’s largest superannuation funds. She has accused them of failing to properly pay out her permanent disability claim, and compensation lawyers say she is one of many being put under severe financial stress by the organisation.