Jai
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.
Jai is in his 60s. He has vision and hearing impairment and epilepsy. When he goes out Jai uses a guide dog to help him see, and is accompanied by a support worker in case he has a seizure.
‘I have sudden blackouts, seizures, and I don't know where I am,’ Jai told the Royal Commission. ‘So when I come to I just don't know where I am. I'm bewildered, lost.’
The NDIS supports Jai, but recently it cut funding for his guide dog.
‘They've relabelled [the dog] as an assistance dog, not a guide dog. I've had to battle to fight or to get the money back for [the dog] because everything I've been doing I've been paying out of my own pocket. And it's very hard on a disability pension.’
Jai said when he complained, an NDIA representative suggested he get a job.
‘I tried to explain to her that, look, no-one will employ a person who has seizures and is out of action for two to three weeks. I've been trying for years to get a job.’
Jai said some of his funding plans appear to have been ‘cut and pasted’ from other people.
‘There's been such a rush job been done on some of these plans … I've had someone else's plan put into mine where I needed showering and toileting.’
Jai said his funding’s often not enough for his needs, but feels NDIA staff demean and patronise him when he asks for a review.
‘People on the NDIS are treated more like numbers.’
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.