Mike

‘Australia is actually making me a burden by not granting me access to the supports I need. It makes no sense.’

Mike is a bus driver in his 50s. When he went to renew his driving licence a decade ago, he was told he was vision impaired.

‘Then my world was turned upside down.’

Mike was diagnosed with glaucoma, refused a driver’s licence and lost his job. Mike is an asylum seeker and isn’t yet an Australian citizen, so he can’t access the NDIS.

‘There are many people like me, who are living in Australia with disabilities from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, who suffer greatly because they don’t qualify for any reasonable or basic level of disability support,’ Mike told the Royal Commission.

Mike grew up in a village in an African country during a civil war.

‘It was a scary time.’

He married, studied administration and worked in education. When the war forced his family to flee to a neighbouring country, Mike applied for asylum.

‘We had to prove that we were medically fit and that we did not have disabilities. I knew … that Australia would not accept people with disabilities as residents.’

Mike had no disability when the family settled in Australia. He wasn’t aware his eyesight was deteriorating until he lost his job as a bus driver.

Initial surgery failed to fix it and left him with ‘little to no vision at all’. His wife left with his children and he relied on charity.

‘I lived for two years with no income whatsoever, as a diagnosis indicating permanent disability is required to be granted the Disability Support Pension. It took my treating specialist two years to finally write a letter confirming my permanent loss of vision.’

Mike was referred to a specialist for further surgery, ‘but he said he was not able to see me. I still don’t know why this was’.

‘I [was] told, “You’re blind, there’s nothing more we can do.”’

However, Mike found another specialist who recommended corneal transplants. Because he had no income, Mike couldn’t afford the operation in Australia. He eventually had the procedure overseas.

‘It was successful to some degree, though I still have very low vision.’

Still unable to work, Mike became homeless until a charity found him somewhere to live.

‘It took me a long time to get access to income support … because I did not know what was available to me. … While I am determined and resourceful, there is so much more that could have been done to help me.’

Mike wants to become an Australian citizen, but can’t afford ‘the immigration lawyer on top of the cost for the visa application’.

‘I know that my application would be rejected because of my disability anyway. I could not afford to appeal a decision.’

Mike said war prevents him from returning to his country.

‘So I feel trapped, like there’s no future, no way out … I am in this situation through no fault of my own, yet I am being discriminated against because I cannot meet the criteria to gain access to the supports I desperately need.’

Without support, especially access to technology and training, Mike said he can’t get a job and contribute to Australian society.

‘It becomes a vicious circle, where you become the very burden that Australia tries so hard to avoid us becoming.’