Dom and Jess
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.
Jess’s son Dom lives with cerebral palsy and significant vision impairment.
‘If you look at [Dom], you think he could see, but he can’t,’ Jess told the Royal Commission. ‘So when he first started preschool, I was lucky … They said “Of course he’s going to come here. We will take him on.”’
Jess said Dom went through the first years of school with no-one understanding how to teach him how to read and write.
‘They were always trying to make him read … and he had a wonderful memory. He remembers everything. He could recite, you know, little books, that you start reading [to him] ... It was like he was reading, but he wasn’t reading at all.’
Near the end of primary school, a teacher suggested they should stop trying to teach Dom, ‘a really bright boy’, how to read and write, and instead help him to learn by listening.
‘I thanked her at the end of the meeting and I said, “You’ve given me a new way of looking at [Dom].”’
Dom became good at languages and in senior high school wanted to study German.
‘[The school] said, “[Dom] can’t do German … and if he attempts to do senior [studies] he’s going to fail.” And I said, “How can that be?” And they said, “It’s the way the syllabus is set.” I said, “Well, they are going to have to change the syllabus.”’
Jess went to the education department. They told her that even though Dom had a gift for languages, he couldn’t compete academically because of his disability which prevented him from reading and writing.
Around this time, Dom developed an interest in the law.
‘[Dom] is very resourceful and he loved the law, so he was going down to the High Court of Australia.’
Dom told a legal professional that his school wouldn’t let him finish his education.
‘[The legal professional] was just gobsmacked. And he looked at him and said, “[Dom], how do you know so much about the law?” And he said, “I just listen.” And [he] said, “Look, I’m going to get someone to represent you because this boy has to do senior.”’
With the legal professional's help, Jess lodged an antidiscrimination complaint against the school, but it was unsuccessful. She transferred Dom to another high school where, with help from a vision impairment specialist, he graduated.
Dom’s now studying law at university.
‘He still goes to court every day – he’s in the Family Court at the moment – and listens. He just loves the law, [but] he can’t get work.’
Jess said the next hurdle is for Dom to find a job, even ‘one day a week as an assistant parole officer, just something to make him [feel] worthwhile’.
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.