Arden
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.
Arden is intersex and neurodivergent.
In primary school, she began losing her vision.
Instead of supporting her teachers made her repeat years, which affected her self-esteem.
‘I never fitted in with my classmates and felt left out of everything, verbally abused and made fun of.’
Arden told the Royal Commission she was sexually assaulted as a teenager, and this led to ‘mental health distress’.
In her 20s, she became blind.
‘Losing my vision … was a blessing as I didn't have to look at myself in mirrors and didn't have to cope with a world I felt alienated from.’
Arden struggled to fit in.
Her mental health deteriorated and, at the time, she wasn’t able to access support.
Arden said the ‘train wreck’ of her life continued.
About a decade ago, she decided to make some changes.
‘I had to tackle the knowledge I always had deeper down – that I was different.’
Arden had surgery and transitioned fully to female.
‘I was pleased to receive funding for my surgery but there was more that I needed, and it wasn't funded by Medicare or other sources.’
She felt her choices were limited because the medical system didn’t fully consider her disability.
‘Lack of in-depth counselling and lack of support for my disability also made me choose options and reject others that may have led to better outcomes.’
Arden’s choices were also limited by a lack of savings or superannuation – her only income for most of her life has been the Disability Support Pension.
Not long after surgery, Arden was evicted from her home ‘for the crime of being blind’. She didn’t notice her lease was about to expire and, by the time someone told her, it was too late.
She feels fortunate to be able to access the NDIS but believes it should be ‘a more flexible and fairer regime that puts people first’.
Arden is finally getting support for her mental health issues.
‘We need the structures in place and the resources and opportunities to rebuild our lives.’
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.