Tye and Janna
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.
Tye is in his 20s and has Asperger’s syndrome and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
His mum Janna works in education, but struggled to find Tye appropriate supports and to make sure he had an appropriate education plan ‘all backed with medical evidence’.
Tye graduated in year 12 and passed several training courses.
‘But then of course the next step is the workplace, and this is the barrier.’
Tye lost his first job because his employer expected him to work faster and failed to make reasonable adjustments.
‘[Tye] went to them to say could he have someone to go and mediate with him to help him so he could keep his job, which of course nobody did.’
A disability employment service (DES) found him another unsuitable job, this time in a busy shop.
‘It was completely against what the medical evidence showed with his documentation. He can’t multitask, the overload with sensory with buzzers going off … you’ve got to, you know, deal with irate customers. All of this stuff was too overwhelming.’
Tye resigned. Janna said the DES didn’t appear to be serious about getting him a suitable job.
‘He’s got an individual plan and he refused to sign it because all they do is change the date on it, then he signs again for another year … He refused to sign [because] they didn’t meet the goals [in the previous year].’
Unable to find a job, Tye applied for a Disability Support Pension (DSP) through Centrelink.
‘Somebody there said to him you have to come back every fortnight and check on the progress of your application. So he was going pretty much a whole year … He has had Centrelink workers say to him, “You’re a young man, you look normal.” This is what they actually said, “You look normal just go and get a job.”’
Tye learnt years later that his application was denied because of an administrative error. When he appealed, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal denied it again.
‘It’s straight in your face there that they were actually wrong. They wouldn’t accept it so we went through that whole process with a huge expense,’ Janna said.
During the process Tye developed severe depression and anxiety.
‘There was two years where we nearly lost him because he was suicidal.’
Tye now receives the DSP, but still wants to work.
‘He has skills and he’s capable … He cannot understand that if someone is employed to support him and people with disabilities, to meet their needs, why don’t they do their job?’
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.