Jarrad
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.
Jarrad is a First Nations man in his 70s living with chronic fatigue syndrome.
‘I've spent a lot of my life starting the day thinking, "Will I be able to manage this?" and thinking, “What needs to be done to get the maximum done to avoid going under?”’ Jarrad told the Royal Commission.
Jarrad had worked most of his life, but wondered why he struggled. In his 40s, ‘thinking there was something wrong’, he saw a psychiatrist.
‘At the end of two years he said, “Well, there's nothing wrong with you, [Jarrad].” I've got this clean bill of health.’
Jarrad said he still felt something was wrong and was ‘driven’ to try to find it and fix it.
He heard of a large medical research project and signed up. Through the project, he was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome.
Jarrad said it was ‘a relief, in a way’ to finally have an explanation for not just the fatigue, but decades of living with ‘all these funny symptoms’.
A few years later, Jarrad stopped working and began to receive the Disability Support Pension. He struggled to feed his family.
‘There was not enough money for the week, and I'm in this terrible physical shape, starving.’
He delivered newspapers ‘to try and make ends meet’.
‘[The disability pension] has got nothing to do about looking after people or that. It just gets them out of sight.’
In his 50s, wanting to get off the pension, Jarrad applied for an apprenticeship.
‘And then, of course, having a chat with one of their business managers, they get me out on the basis they couldn’t secure from me that I wouldn't be one of these sticklers for working to the shift.’
Jarrad said people living with disability want opportunities to work, but face an ‘uncaring society’.
‘I’m happy that I've been heard,’ Jarrad told the Royal Commission. ‘I just hope some good comes out of it for the sake of people who aren't quite as dogged as me. There's so much unnecessary suffering, and there could be so much contribution made in the country in so many ways.’
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.