Edwina
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.
Edwina is in her 30s, has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair. She recently moved into a public housing unit.
‘They told us it was [a] disabled [unit], it’s going to meet your needs,’ Edwina told the Royal Commission. ‘Okay, it’s got a wheelchair bathroom and wider doorways and hallways and stuff, but that’s about it. It doesn’t meet my needs as a person in a wheelchair.’
For example, Edwina has to twist to load the dishwasher, hurting her back. The stove top is ‘at least an arms-length away’ and the control button for the heater is above her head.
‘So way above my eyeline, and one of those old gas systems where you had to press this ignition thing to light it – and I don’t have that dexterity in my hands to press this ignition button. I don’t have the strength in my fingers to hold this down and twist at the same time.’
Edwina said when she pointed out the problems, the housing department suggested the NDIS pay to further modify the apartment.
‘They push everything back on to NDIS … It feels like they just pass their responsibility on to other people just so they’re not accountable for caring and looking after people with disabilities.’
Edwina lives in a regional town. During the COVID-19 pandemic, one restaurant practiced social distancing by moving its tables into the carpark, covering an accessible parking space.
‘This is a town with limited parking and even more limited disabled parking, and one of these businesses put their patio thing right over a disabled park.’
It meant she couldn’t park near the shops. When she pointed it out, the local council told her it was a ‘business responsibility or a [roads department] responsibility’.
Edwina said her access to other services was also unfairly restricted during the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, she was summonsed to jury duty during the pandemic, but was excluded when she told the court she used a wheelchair.
‘Because of COVID, they have to create more spacing. So their first option was to take out the wheelchair dock in the jury duty space … I understand why they needed to create these spacings, but it was still quite insulting to be told that, you know, once these kinds of disasters hit, that you’re the first to go.’
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.