Matthew
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.
‘I don’t have any friends. I hardly ever go out. I have a support worker who occasionally will take me to appointments, and that’s all.’
Matthew is in his 60s and lives alone in a one-bedroom apartment in the city. He has no family and told the Royal Commission he ‘feels very isolated’.
When Matthew was a child he was abused and exposed to abuse.
‘My father was physically abusing me and my mother. He was also threatening to kill my mother.’
This abuse has had life-long consequences for Matthew.
‘It left me with a lot of emotional scars including post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychiatric disorders.’
He also has several health issues.
Matthew said he is scared to go out on his own because of his phobias. When he’s triggered his anxiety increases and he wets himself. Because of this he avoids social gatherings and stays in his house and becomes more isolated.
Matthew asked the NDIA to increase his funding to provide more social support so he could exercise and maybe go to the cinema. He also asked for technology or training programs that would improve his communication skills.
‘I feel embarrassed even saying this, but I could benefit by improving my language/spelling skills.’
However the NDIA refused. Matthew said he is being discriminated against because his disability is psychosocial and the agency refuses to accept the permanency or longevity of his disability.
‘How can they not consider my doctor’s recommendations?’ he asks. He says the abuse he received from his father ‘will never go away’.
‘I feel interrogated by NDIA. They are trying to find gaps and refuse me further supports and programs that could increase my social participation and help me improve my mental health.’
Matthew has been appealing the decision for a year and said the protracted process is causing him further trauma. His health and mental health are deteriorating.
‘NDIA staff should also be trained to develop more active listening, empathy, and communication skills when it comes to dealing with people who suffer from complex mental health issues … so they avoid re-traumatising them.’
Matthew said being funded to attend programs and activities would open new opportunities for him to work and study as well as make friends.
‘The NDIS should take the needs of socially isolated people into greater consideration and ensure they have enough funding on their NDIS package to access the necessary services and supports so they can improve their health and wellbeing.’
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.