Sylvia
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.
Sylvia is in her early 50s and has cerebral palsy. She has three university degrees.
For some years Sylvia enjoyed a teaching career. When she transitioned from using crutches to a wheelchair, her employer decided she could no longer cope with the physical requirements of the job. She told the Royal Commission she was forced to retire.
Sylvia applied for the Disability Support Pension (DSP) but was knocked back.
‘Several people told me it was a pity I hadn't applied for the DSP earlier in my life, when it had been easier to get,’ Sylvia said.
‘I found it profoundly disappointing that rather than being rewarded for having a go and working while I was able to, I felt punished by a system which, when I needed it, didn't seem to be there to help.’
Sylvia didn’t challenge the decision denying her the pension because she ‘found it too depressing and didn’t want to be rejected again’.
Sylvia says that while she had some capacity to work, she wasn’t able to find work in a market where ‘there was always someone else who … was simply “easier” to employ because they wouldn’t require the “reasonable adjustments” that [she] either needed or was assumed to need’.
‘The government’s expectation for disabled people to work has changed much faster than the willingness of employers to hire people with disability,’ Sylvia said.
‘When I was looking for work, I contacted the Employment Assistance Fund (EAF) to find out what kind of assistance or equipment I could get, so that I could reassure employers that, with the right support, I could do the job.
‘There was nothing the EAF could do to help until I had a job offer – which I was unlikely to get without demonstrating that I could do the job.’
Sylvia said she was ‘condemned to long-term unemployment, long-term poverty and years of close government scrutiny’ because the government insisted she was able to work but employers wouldn’t hire her.
‘I wasted years of my [life] applying for jobs I was increasingly unlikely to get … I found it extremely damaging to my self-esteem and mental health.’
Sylvia says Australia needs ‘an employment system that is about re-skilling workers not blaming them for being without employment’.
‘We need a system that provides pathways for people to change jobs and develop new skills … We need a system that offers a support to every worker who needs a new job (disabled or not).’
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.