Korbin
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 on the autism spectrum. I’m totally alone. I haven’t seen my family in over 10 years and haven’t talked to them for over a year before the pandemic.’
Korbin told the Royal Commission his family have disowned him because he is autistic. They ‘have not acknowledged my autistic traits and provided any semblance of caring’. He asked an autism advocacy group to confirm to his family he is autistic, but it didn’t make a difference.
Prior to COVID-19 Korbin was living in an apartment and had successfully applied for an NDIS package. But he had to leave his apartment because it gave him respiratory illnesses and allergies. He moved into his van thinking it was temporary.
Then COVID-19 arrived. He didn’t want to be homeless, so he reached out to the NDIS.
Because there were no homeless services included in his package the support coordinator couldn’t help him.
‘She decided that I needed to do what’s called an “unscheduled review”.’ But six months later this still had not been done, meaning Korbin couldn’t access any NDIS provided services.
Korbin said he became homeless as a result of COVID-19.
‘I rang the homeless hotline and the state government put me in a motel.’
When that accommodation ended Korbin found a room in another motel as a private rental. He also had some support from a church community service agency.
‘But the NDIS were completely useless,’ he said.
An NDIS local area coordinator met with Korbin and ‘passed [him] on to someone else’ who was part of a complex needs unit and ‘was supposed to be able to “make decisions”’. This person was meant to complete the unscheduled review.
But the person never contacted Korbin and he found out down the track it had been cancelled. He was never given any information about this.
Korbin has been able to work as an Uber driver but needs support to continue. He says it’s good work for some people with disabilities if they have support.
Korbin has ‘overcome many problems and challenges along the way and earned some money’, but says he still needs support.
‘I am truly alone in the world.’
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.