2017-6-23 Segregating the disabled is unacceptable

THEAUSTRALIAN

Segregatingthedisabledisunacceptable

Illustration:EricLobbecke

ANNEKAVANAGH THEAUSTRALIAN 12:00AMJune23,2017

ManyAustralianswererightlyupsetwhensenatorPaulineHansonstoodupinparliamentthisweektocallfor
childrenwithdisabilitiestobewithdrawnfrommainstreamclassroomsandeducatedseparately.

Myfamilywasdeeplyhurt.Afterall,hercommentsweredirectedatchildrensuchasmyson,whohasautismand
anintellectualdisability.Infact,shesingledoutchildrenwithautism,whoareamong164,000Australiansliving
withit,asparticularlyproblematic.

Mysonis14andattendsaschoolforchildrenwithautismexactlywheretheHansonsoftheworldwouldwant
him.Butitwasnotourfirstchoice.Wetriedintegrationinmainstreamschools.Thatlastedtwoyearsbuttheschool
madeitclearitcouldntdoitanylongerbecauseitdidnthavetheskillsorresourcestosupporthim.Weeventried
enrollinghiminaspecialschoolbuthewasturnedawaybecausehewastooautistic.

Everydayheridesaspecialschoolbus90minuteseachwaytoandfromschool.Onthebushehastositstill,he
canteatandthereisnotoilet.Hecanfindtheotherchildrendisruptive.Inthemorningshedoesntwanttogeton
thebus.Sometimeshehasbeencryingwhenhegetsoffattheendoftheday.

Mysongetspickedupmuchearlierthanalltheotherchildrenonourstreet.Hegetshometoolatetoplaysport,doa
musiclesson,goforaswimoralltheotherthingskidshisagearedoing.Threehoursofhisdayaretakenaway
fromhimtravellingtoaschoolthattheHansonsoftheworldwanthimtoattend.

Thisisaburdennochildshouldhavetoendure.

Thisisnottosaythattheschoolisnotcommittedtoprovidinghimwiththebesteducationpossible.Hehasan
individualisedlearningplan.Theyarethinkingcreativelyaboutemployment.Itispossiblethat,inthelongrun,the
schoolheisatisthebestschoolforhim,particularlygiventhepoorrangeofalternatives.Butletsnotpretendthat
wedontalreadyhaveadeeplysegregatededucationsystem.

Soletstakeastepback.Givenourexperienceswithschooling,andtheexperiencesofcountlessothersIknow,
Hansonstakeonsegregatededucationforchildrenwithdisabilityisbynomeansmarginal.Ireckonsheissimply
articulating,poorly,theviewsofsocietymoregenerallyasocietythatisnotyetabletoembracethediversityof
childrenandadultswithdisability.

Herremarkscouldhaveappliedequallytoemployment.Australiahasthelowestleveloflabourforceparticipation
ofpeoplewithdisabilitiesintheOECD.TheAustralianHumanRightsCommissionfoundthatpeoplewith
disabilitiesexperienceddiscriminationandwereconfrontedbynegativestereotypesinrecruitment,intheworkplace
includingbullyingandharassment,andlackedopportunitiesforcareeradvancement.

Ourresearchshowsthat,whenemployed,peoplewithdisabilitiesreceivelowerlevelsofpayforthesamework,
havelittlecontrolovertheworkthattheydoandhavelessjobsecurity.

Thesituationisdireforpeoplewithintellectualdisabilities.Iftheyareintheworkforceitisusuallyinadisability
enterprisewhatweusedtocallshelteredworkshops.Morelikelytheyareinadayprogramwithotherpeople
whoarelikethemawayfromtherestofsociety.

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2017-6-23 Segregating the disabled is unacceptable

UniversityofSydneyacademicGerardGogginpublishedabook,DisabilityinAustralia:ExposingaSocial
Apartheid,in2005inwhichhearguedthatAustralianswithdisabilitieswereroutinelyexcluded,segregatedfrom,
therestofsocietyinspecialschools,workplaces,playgrounds,everywhere.Hansonscommentsremindusthatthis
problemisstillaliveandstrong.

Aswellasclosingoffopportunitiesforsocialandeconomicparticipation,socialapartheidunderminesthehealth
ofchildrenandadultswithdisabilities.

Thereisalargebodyofevidencethatdiscriminationcausespoormentalandphysicalhealth.Childrenwith
disabilitiesarelikeliertobebulliedinschools,affectingtheiremotionalwellbeing.Adultswhoexperience
discriminationarelikeliertobedepressedandanxiousandexperiencearangeofphysicalhealthproblemssuchas
highbloodpressure.

Ableismshutsoffeducationalandemploymentopportunities.Thissocialandeconomicdisadvantageputsthemat
riskofmanyhealthproblems.

NextweekwelaunchaCentreofResearchExcellenceinDisabilityandHealth,fundedbytheNationalHealthand
MedicalResearchCouncil.Wewillconcentrateonhowexperiencesofdiscrimination,education,employment,
housing,socialinclusionandothersocialandeconomicfactorsaffectthehealthofAustralianswithdisabilities.We
wanttoworkoutwhatsocietyandgovernmentscandotoimprovethehealthofAustralianswithdisabilities.

Hansonscommentsaboutriddingourschoolsofdisabledchildrentoadvancetheprospectsofordinarychildren
areabhorrentbuttheyrevealadeepseatedbeliefthatAustralianchildrenandadultswithdisabilitiesarenotfull
citizens,thatexclusionandsegregationisacceptable.Itisnot.Itunderminestherightsofpeoplewithdisabilityto
liveafulllifeandsocietyismuchpoorerforit.

AnneKavanaghisdirectoroftheCentreofResearchExcellenceinDisabilityandHealth,whichwillbelaunched
nextTuesday.

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