Led by long-time disability advocate Tricia Malowney, this panel session looked at how human rights instruments and approaches can defend the rights of people with disability and help shift societal behaviours, attitudes and assumptions towards people with disability.
The session offered the first chance for many in the sector to meet newly appointed Disability Discrimination Commissioner Alastair McEwin.
There’s an actual Disability Commissioner on stage, I’m so excited I think I wet myself a little #SDAC16
— George Taleporos (@drgeorgethecrip) September 2, 2016
In talking about his role, he highlighted a letter to the editor complaining about the then Prime Minister Julia Gillard trying to “rush through” the NDIS. He saw his role as trying to change that sort of conversation in the community so that people understand “why should we have waited any longer, that’s our right”.
“However, the NDIS would not be able to resolve every issue of importance to people with disability, including housing, employment, education and access to property, unless there was a strong interconnection across sectors and issues,” Alastair McEwin said, identifying that bringing these together will be his biggest priority in the next five years.
Hear more from Alastair McEwin in this interview with Marie McInerney:
Catherine Dixon outlined how the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC) was able to help people with disability to challenge breaches of their rights and community attitudes through a range of tools: dispute resolution, legal intervention, education, research and addressing systemic discrimination. As an example, she highlighted current work with the Judicial College of Victoria to make the courts more accessible to people with disability. She said disability is the highest area of complaint for the VEOHRC, with employment issues of greatest concern.
In response to a question from the floor, she conceded there are fundamental problems with a system that relies on individual complainants to drive systemic change and said VEOHRC will be taking a more restorative approach in future rather than just mediation.
It is wrong to be forced into conciliation with somebody who has discriminated against you, there must be a better way #SDAC16
— George Taleporos (@drgeorgethecrip) September 2, 2016
Keith McVilly talked about the NDIS research agenda, which is currently focused on innovations in housing for people with disability and on the most effective way to develop NDIS plans. Next stages will include looking at outcome measures for participants and families, and then for Tier 2 specialist supports (ILC), particularly in regional and remote areas.
He acknowledged the “burden of research” on people with disability, but urged conference participants to get involved in the research agenda, to offer their feedback and expert insight to the NDIS process, to contribute to collective knowledge, and to become researchers themselves.
Prof Keith Mcvilly “personal encounter is where we’ll get change in values and attitudes” #SDAC16 #disability #advocacy @VCOSSlive #NDIS
— DANA Ltd (@dana_advocacy) September 2, 2016
For Sharon Granek, an important way to ensure the NDIS meets its human rights obligations is to focus on the “gatekeepers” to choice and control. “It’s not just about access,” she said. “Mainstream services have to be welcoming and inclusive, that’s the real cultural change.”
“We must look at the gatekeepers, a term not used yet today” Sharon from @WDVtweet at #SDAC16 re: women with #disability taking control
— Christina Ryan (@HChristinaR) September 2, 2016
Gathering the right data on the right outcomes is also vital for women with disability, she said, challenging organisations and researchers to ensure data is gender disaggregating and that information is gender and disability specific and accessible. Finally she said, people with disability need to be on boards of a whole range of services, not just those that are disability focused, “so we are seen beyond our disability.”
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DARU is auspiced by DAV and VCOSS with funding from the Victorian Government Office for Disability
