Logan
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.
‘We shouldn't have to fit into this ableist box to succeed.’
Logan lives with a sensory processing disorder and chronic pain disorder, which are challenging but are also, Logan wants to point out, ‘crucial to the way I live life and enjoy life’. Logan finished school a few years ago, and shared with the Royal Commission their experience of ‘restrictive and condescending experiences’ at the private girl’s high school they attended.
‘Sometimes if I had a particularly loud or explosive panic attack or meltdown I would be made to sit with teachers or nurses I was not comfortable with. I was also moved away from spaces I felt safe (such as between lockers) and into spaces that made me feel worse, like the sick bay or an office.’
Teachers and students failed to listen to Logan when they tried to plan for panic attacks or meltdowns. They made decisions based on their perception of Logan’s needs rather than what Logan actually needed.
‘I felt neglected and invalidated. I felt like I had no voice or space because of things I could not control … they still disregarded my feelings of safety and made me feel like I was incapable of making decisions for myself.’
Logan is now at university and in the workforce, but said their experience at school has made them ‘incredibly anxious’ about disclosing their disabilities. ‘I'm afraid people will become invalidating if I say anything and avoid a lot of in‐person meetings to make sure no-one “finds out”.’
Logan would like to see schools become a ‘more adaptable space that can work with students to actually thrive, working with their differences … rather than making them adapt to a rigid school system’.
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.