Healing Together: The Disability Royal Commission and the road forward.
On Friday, the 29th of September 2023, the final report from the Disability Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability, which heard submissions over four years from people with disabilities, families, advocates, and professionals, was handed to the Governer-General for the government to review and respond to the recommendations.
The final report covering areas from employment, schooling, housing, healthcare, disability services and the wider community also provides a disability-led strategy for the government to ensure the accepted recommendations are implemented and followed appropriately to protect the human rights of people with a disability and create a more inclusive Australia to end the violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disabilities in Australia.
The Disability Royal Commission had been a long time coming for the disability community, with many advocating for a Royal Commission for decades. People with disabilities have recounted their traumatic experiences to the commission and, in the process, relived the trauma. While most news outlets have been disappointingly quiet about the Disability Royal Commission and its highlighted issues, the ABC has been a strong supporter with a series of articles and a recent 4 Corners episode highlighting the abuses of people with disabilities in Australia.
The recommendations made by the Disability Royal Commission, if accepted and implemented correctly, will create an inclusive Australia for all people with disabilities where we will no longer be unseen, unheard or excluded.
