Posted August 30, 2022
The bottom line of that analysis is although … a contested issue, my own view is the better view of the Convention’s obligation, in particular Article 24, is that Australia needs to move progressively over some time to have [a] transformed system with inclusive education, which does not, as a matter of principle, include special schools as a long-term separate form of education. And I think that is also a position taken by the CRPD Committee.”
Posted August 19, 2022
Child protection statistics are a sober reminder of the vulnerability these families face if they fall between the cracks of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and mainstream support services. Parenting should be treated as an activity of daily living for people with disability and then supported – rather than ignored – to ensure the best outcomes for parents and children.
Posted August 12, 2022
My research and that of others shows the challenges faced by this group were always characterised as a “specialised field”. This means governments were aware of the issues but still failed to properly engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability in remote regions.
Posted August 5, 2022
“The treatment I received effectively means only people who are physically able to move themselves between wheelchairs or obtain assistance from an accompanying passenger can be confident they will be able to get on a Jetstar flight,” he said. “That’s a major barrier for many people.”
Posted July 22, 2022
Ms Cox says the world continues to collectively experience a global situation of risk, the pandemic continues, armed conflicts, humanitarian emergencies and natural disasters continue to happen. ‘Despite these events, state parties and governments have so much more to do to ensure the protection and safety of disabled people.
Posted July 4, 2022
The problem with these images stems from the fact that they’re based on the idea that disabled people can do certain things “in spite” of their disabilities, and that they’re used to motivate and inspire non-disabled people. Australian comedian and disability rights advocate Stella Young termed these types of examples inspiration porn.
Posted June 24, 2022
Emily Dash is an emerging writer, actor, producer and speaker who works across theatre and screen. Her acclaimed and wide ranging work emphasises social justice issues, community engagement, intersectionality, and expanding perceptions of disability. Watch her spoken word performance about owning your power and taking up space as a person with disability which was presented at the ‘Where To From Here Conference 2022’.
Posted June 20, 2022
As a disability rights lawyer who represents people with disabilities and their families every day, I know that there is often a lot of confusion and fear around guardianship laws; especially about why they exist. This article is designed to fill you in on how these laws came to be and what role they have in a modern Australia that acknowledges the human rights of people with disability.
Posted June 16, 2022
This fifteenth session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an important moment for stocktaking and reflection. With 185 ratifications since its adoption in 2006, the Convention has crystallized the commitment of the international community to realize an inclusive, accessible, and sustainable world for all.
Posted May 30, 2022
Non-disabled people, who lack direct experience of life with disabilities, often assume that disabled people are, and should be, fearful — in the sense of being timid, risk averse, or weak — as a natural consequence of their disabilities. But when disabled people actually express fears tied to ableism, abusive practices, or bad public policies, they are often dismissed as over-anxious, irrational, or even delusional.
Posted May 27, 2022
Disability activism can be exciting, empowering, and enormously fulfilling — especially for people with disabilities themselves. It can also be exhausting and frustrating. And to outside observers, newcomers, and longtime activists, disability activism can seem futile, maybe even fatally flawed.
Posted May 23, 2022
Over the next hour, I heard a dozen personal stories, each as enraging and saddening as the next, but all following a similar theme. During their late teens or early 20s, each of these people were told, usually by a close family member or friend, that they “weren’t smart enough to vote” or it “wasn’t worth the effort to learn”.
Posted May 20, 2022
Proud Indigenous man Thomas Marks tells his story of being Stolen Gen, incarceration and turning his life around through art. This is his story told in his own words for the Disability Royal Commission.
Posted May 6, 2022
This case is about when and how an appointed guardian can authorise the use of forcible physical restraint in order to administer medication to people under their guardianship. This case concerned an older woman, HYY, who was under a guardianship order. HYY was voluntarily admitted to hospital for treatment of her psychological and physical health conditions. However, at times during her hospital stay HYY refused to take her anticoagulant medication.
Posted April 22, 2022
Closing date: May 30, 2022
Did you know that disabled people cant legally talk to the media about their guardianship or administration hearings and experiences? They have to go to VCAT to ask permission. If they are unhappy with what happened to them at VCAT, they have to go and ask VCAT for permission to talk to the media about that.
