Enoch
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 am somewhat embarrassed … I would have considered these issues trivial prior to my current condition.’
Enoch has peripheral neuropathy as a result of diabetes. He told the Royal Commission that he uses a walker because walking is ‘difficult [and] painful’. His condition has progressed to a stage where steps and steep inclines are ‘impossible to manoeuvre’.
Enoch said this may be a ‘trivial matter’ for a person without a disability but for him it is a ‘major issue’.
Enoch regularly uses a hydrotherapy pool for exercise and rehabilitation.
In his local area there are two pools but both have steps leading down into the water. One pool has a lift chair but ‘it has been out of order for some time,’ Enoch said.
The waiting room is also poorly designed. The chairs, while a standard height, have no supports. Enoch needs help getting in and out of them.
Enoch wants people with disability to be involved in designing facilities intended for people with disability.
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.