Shanna
Content Warning: These stories are about violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation and may include references to suicide or self-harming behaviours. They may contain graphic descriptions and strong language and may be distressing. Some narratives may be about First Nations people who have passed away. If you need support, please see Contact & support.
‘When it comes to people in charge of organisations who are looking after vulnerable people, they need to have some training or education … But it is more what they put in their back pocket.’
Shanna is in her 40s and lives with a degenerative neurological disease. She’s been on a Disability Support Pension for about eight years.
A few years ago, she began working part-time for a disability advocacy group.
‘When I first started with them, they knew exactly what my disabilities were,’ she told the Royal Commission. ‘They knew how they had to support me. I've always been open with everyone because if I'm not, then people are going to expect too much.’
But then a new manager came aboard.
‘And one of her first discussions with me on the phone was, “Can you even do your job? Can you coordinate?”’
Shanna’s team was behind on a job because of COVID. But the manager ‘needed someone to blame’ and got the idea of pushing Shanna out.
‘She was always criticising and questioning my ability to perform my duties. This made me feel like I had to prove myself worthy. It made me very anxious and I started doubting my own abilities.’
Shanna said the manager was demeaning to her and a colleague with intellectual disability.
‘She openly said to both of us that we don’t have disabilities. And then she said, she believed him. She looked at me and said, “He’s got a lot more disabilities than what I have.”’
Shanna told her boss, ‘That's all on record’. A week later, the manager spoke with them as though nothing had happened.
‘It was almost like she just dismissed how she made us feel the week before.’
Shanna’s colleague told her, ‘I don’t want to be in a meeting with her by myself. Can you always be there?’ He feared being ‘mistreated’.
‘An organisation like that, someone needs to step in and teach them that you're supposed to be set up to look after people with a disability and have that empathy, understanding, not put unrealistic goals on people. It’s just not fair.’
The organisation was receiving significant government funding to boost open employment for people with disability, but Shanna said the company was exploiting her.
‘I've seen the budget and it makes no sense. I should've been getting paid more. So I don’t know where that money was going.’
The stress at work had an impact on Shanna’s health.
‘It ended up being that bad that my disability took over.’
She had a week or so off work, and when she started feeling better met with her manager online.
‘And I was trying to ask what I need to do to return to work, but she kept talking over me. There was no, “How are you going?” … It was just, “When are you coming back to work? Because we can't pay you for doing nothing.” I actually wasn’t expecting to get paid when I was sick. My health comes first.’
Shanna felt she had to resign.
‘I have been left feeling used and abused.’
A trauma counsellor is helping her and Shanna has found another job.
‘Because I love my work. I love working for these people and helping.’
Disclaimer: This is the story of a person who shared their personal experience with the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability through a submission or private session. The names in this story are pseudonyms. The person who shared this experience was not a witness and their account is not evidence. They did not take an oath or affirmation before providing the story. Nothing in this story constitutes a finding of the Royal Commission. Any views expressed are those of the person who shared their experience, not of the Royal Commission.