Gavan
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.
Gavan has cerebral palsy, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Gavan’s father was his main carer growing up, helping him shower and dress. His father died when he was 10.
‘After that time, my mum became increasingly more abusive,’ Gavan told the Royal Commission.
Gavan’s mother controlled his finances. One day, when Gavan was in year 12, his mother took his wheelchair away.
‘She said, "Why don't you go into the big wide world and, you know, see what it's really like?" She then took my wheelchair, stuck it in the back of a four-wheel drive and locked it up.’
Gavan moved in with his older brother, but said his mother wouldn’t let him have his equipment, including a modified vehicle that had been provided as part of a disability support package.
Gavan spent most of his Centrelink support on taxis to and from school. The taxis were often late.
‘If I or any other student was late, [the teacher] would make us stand outside the classroom, and she would literally go around to each of us and go, "Why were you late?" and my excuse was the same every time.’
Gavan needs help dressing and showering, and can’t use public transport with his wheelchair. Getting to and from school was a physical and financial challenge.
‘Okay, even if I get to school, how am I going to get home again? And even if I get home, how am I going to afford to get to school the next day and complete the whole process?’
When he told a teacher he couldn’t afford a textbook, the teacher told him to ‘lift [his] game’.
‘I said, "Well, I can't do any better than I'm doing. I'm currently living with my brother. I'm potentially going to have to look at shifting out … I said that I was struggling to even get to school. He basically told me in no uncertain terms, "If you can't handle it, just drop out."’
When his brother moved away, Gavan was homeless. Two members of his church invited him to live with them. They then applied for a carer’s payment.
‘[They] … mentally abused me for months … The primary reason I'd agreed to move there was because they were meant to take me to school instead of getting a taxi, but they … after a couple of weeks, just went, "Nuh."’
Gavan finished year 12 ‘by some miracle’, but the stress triggered PTSD. He moved out and later tried to continue his studies at university, but couldn’t find suitable student accommodation.
‘I literally couldn't get anyone to rent me a room because as soon as they found out that I had [cerebral palsy], they basically didn't want to take me on.’
The NDIS provides Gavan with a support worker for a few hours a day.
Gavan recently married, but the NDIS rejected his application for specialist disability accommodation. Gavan said his support coordinator has suggested he and his wife move into a group home.
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.