A vision impaired member contacted the Blind Citizens Australia (BCA) office for support in a case against his local post office. During a visit to the post office to have his passport photos taken, he was advised that he would need to go elsewhere to have his photos taken as the computer system was detecting an … Continued
In 1981, Lesley Hall and some mates stormed the Miss Australia Quest. They actually strategically bought tickets, but to imagine them storming through the doors of the St Kilda Town Hall is too delicious. But Lesley definitely stormed the stage. She stands right in the thick of the ceremony, flanked by madly grinning beauty contestants … Continued
Australian females with a disability are twice as likely to experience violence than other women. In many cases powerless to do anything to protect themselves, their experiences of violence will last over a longer period of time and will result in more severe injuries. The issue will be discussed at a national symposium at the … Continued
Boards have a critical role to play in creating a human rights culture within their organisations. This 15 minute video explores the what, why and how of adopting human rights based approaches. It includes interviews with people with disability, a CEO and Board Members. It is designed to start a conversation around human rights. It … Continued
With the launch of the new national insurance scheme, DisabilityCare, disability is for once high on the public agenda. Many Australians now agree that the previous system failed those in need and they thus support this long-overdue reform. What is more, there is finally real money on the table, money that can help address the … Continued
This is a volume in the Pennsylvania Studies in Human Rights series “The authors have embarked on a fascinating, original, and groundbreaking project to tell the story of how the CRPD came to be.”—Michael Perlin, New York Law School The United Nations adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) constituted … Continued
The Convention follows decades of work by the United Nations to change attitudes and approaches to persons with disabilities. It takes to a new height the movement from viewing persons with disabilities as “objects” of charity, medical treatment and social protection towards viewing persons with disabilities as “subjects” with rights, who are capable of claiming … Continued
A man with significant learning difficulties has been ordered to undergo a vasectomy to prevent him from having further children in a landmark legal ruling by the High Court. Mrs Justice Eleanor King, sitting in the Court of Protection, said there was “no question” of the 36-year-old having the mental capacity to use contraception and … Continued
Timewell Crescent in Boronia is home to some of Victoria’s most severely intellectually disabled people. Run by the state’s biggest non-government residential care service, Yooralla, the house has been in crisis for several years. Poor management and inadequate staffing have enabled residents to violently assault each other or disappear from the premises unsupervised for hours. … Continued
Families who take their disabled children overseas to be sterilised should face criminal charges, a parliamentary inquiry has recommended. For 10 months, senators have been weighing up human rights issues and the challenges faced by carers, while investigating reports some people with disabilities are being sterilised without informed consent. An upper house committee made 28 … Continued
In recent months discussions about disability featured widely in the media. One issue however has been noticeably ignored. In the months before the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) was launched on July 1, discussions about disability featured widely in the media. One issue however was ignored – the sex lives of the disabled. Sex and … Continued
Most Australians, with the support of a doctor, are able to make an informed choice about having a vasectomy or tubal ligation. But if you have a significant intellectual disability, someone—a parent or guardian—can decide this for you. Concerns have been raised surrounding the legality of these procedures, particularly when guardians travel overseas for sterilisation … Continued
When Stella Young was four years old, she broke her leg while on a family holiday in Adelaide. For Stella and her family, such an incident wasn’t uncommon. The disability advocate and editor of ABC’s Ramp Up was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, a congenital condition more commonly – and crudely – known as brittle bone … Continued
Jock Watson spent most of his 20s in a nursing home after a car accident left him with an acquired brain injury, meaning he needed constant care. While fellow residents tried to engage the young man in their bingo games and sing-a-longs, it was an isolating experience. ”He spent much of his time in his … Continued
Parents of women with severe disabilities are being forced to take their daughters overseas for hysterectomies after their requests for the procedure were denied in Australia, a leading endocrinologist has told an inquiry into involuntary sterilisation. John Carter, the father of a 31-year-old daughter with a moderately severe intellectual disability, said laws on sterilisation can … Continued