Life to Live

The history of people with disabilities in Australia - 100 years

A resource guide prepared by: Disability Services Australia Ltd

Contents
Overview / Timeline / Medical Advances & Health / Technical Innovation

Education / Participating in Community Life / Employment Opportunities

The Arts / Sport / Finding a Voice / HOME

Participating in Community Life


For people with disabilities, being part of community life is essential. This includes having access to the same types of services and enjoying the same opportunities as the rest of the community.

For the greater part of the 20th Century, many people with disabilities were separated from society or unable to access services because of their particular disability.

The United Nations played an important role in bringing about changes which would enable people with disabilities to be more fully integrated into their communities. New legislation and increased services for people with disabilities have made this a reality in Australia.


Historical Background

The 20th Century will be remembered for the changes which occurred in attitudes towards people with disabilities in Australia and all over the world.

For much of the last century in Australia, thousands of people with disabilities were living in institutions. These included mental hospitals, nursing homes, or hostels for different disability groups, such as people who were blind, or people who had cerebral palsy. These people were largely separated from the community and often remained in these institutions for their entire lives.

The United Nations played an important role in changing attitudes by issuing the Declaration of Rights of Disabled Persons in 1974, then declaring 1981 the International Year of Disabled Persons. Throughout the world, these things helped raise the level of awareness about the rights of people with disabilities.

In the early 1980s, largely due to pressure from the community, the Australian Government began a review of services for people with disabilities, which led to the Disability Services Act 1986.

* As a result of the Act, the focus shifted from institutional care for people with disabilities, to care within a home environment.

* Rather than attending special schools, many people with disabilities now had the opportunity to go to regular schools with support services to assist them (see section on Education).

* The Government encouraged the employment of people with disabilities within the general community, rather than in sheltered workshops (see section on Employment).

* People who provided services within the community were asked to ensure that people with disabilities would also have access to these services.

The Role of United Nations: graphics - there is an Australian 50cent coin which could be used, as well as a logo on the United Nations website at
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/disiydp.htm

* The United Nations declared 1981 The International Year of Disabled Persons. It encouraged countries all over the world to provide equal opportunities for people with disabilities.

* 1982-1993 became The Decade of Disabled Persons. This gave countries a timeframe within which to make significant changes to improve the lives of people with disabilities. The United Nations provided guidelines for many of the changes which were necessary to achieve this.

* Each year, 3 December is celebrated as The International Day of People with a Disability. On this day, the experiences and contributions of people with disabilities continue to be acknowledged.


Community Living

Current Services:
A number of services exist, both Government and private, to enable people with disabilities to participate more fully in community life and to assist them as their needs change.
* Support may be provided for small groups of individuals sharing a home. In this situation, 24 hour-a-day support is provided for people with a high level of disability.
* "Drop in" support may be provided for people with disabilities who do not require full time support but may need assistance from time to time with such things as shopping, budgeting, transport and cooking.
* Meaningful daytime activities are available for the enjoyment of individuals who are not able to work, or who choose not to work.
* Programs are available to assist with the change from childhood roles to adult roles. This may include learning new skills, finding employment, having opportunities to make new friends and finding out about community activities.
* Support is available to family members and carers. This may include education about disabilities as well as "respite" or temporary care options for people who look after a relative or a friend and may need a rest from time to time.

Carers:
A carer may be a parent, partner or child who provides care to a relative or friend who is elderly, ill or has a disability. The care provided enables that person to remain in their own home.

Additional assistance may at times be required and is available from Home and Community Care workers. Services may include help with cooking, cleaning, washing, shopping and transport. Home nursing services are also available to care for more personal needs.

Meals on Wheels:
A well-known Australian home service is Meals on Wheels. The first community "meals on wheels" were delivered in the South Melbourne district in June 1953. Other services were established in Adelaide (1954), Hobart (1955), Ipswich (1956) and progressively throughout Australia after that.

By 1999, Meals on Wheels were delivering meals to 60,000 people every weekday, and often on weekends. The thousands of volunteers who deliver these meals play an important community role through the caring relationships which they develop with their clients. Often, they provides much needed social contact.

Australian Transcultural Mental Health Network:
In order to reach a wider group of people who may require mental health services, the Commonwealth Government set up the Australian Transcultural Mental Health Network. This service links various state and national health organisations which offer specific services for people from different cultural backgrounds, including indigenous Australians.

Public transport:
In 2000, the Commonwealth Government of Australia introduced new Disability Standards for Public Transport in Australia. These standards provide timeframes within which public transport must cater fully for people with physical disabilities. The standards apply to buses, taxis, trains, trams, planes and ferries. By 2010, most types of public transport will be 55% accessible, with a target of 90% accessibility by 2015.

Building Standards:
The Building Code of Australia specifies design standards to make buildings and public facilities accessible to people with physical disabilities. These standards include wider doorways for people using wheelchairs; minimum lighting for people with vision impairments or for people who use sign language or lip read; and appropriate toilet facilities for people with a range of physical disabilities.

Captioning:
"Captioning" enables people to read on-screen what is being spoken.

Currently, there are around 1.7 million Australians who are deaf or have a hearing impairment. In 1982, the Australian Caption Centre was established to provide captioning services for television. Today, it is the largest provider of captioning services in Australia.

Captions inform the viewer about what is being spoken, as well as describing sound effects and music.

People wishing to view captions use a teletext television. This enables the viewer to select captions for various programs.

Australian legislation requires that captions are provided for news, current affairs and prime-time television programs.

On 4 May 2001, captioning was introduced to major cinemas in capital cities throughout Australia. Approximately 30 American films each year are captioned and will be shown at major Hoyts, Greater Union and Village cinemas.

Holidaying:
Easy Access Australia was first published in 1995. It is a travel guide which assists people with physical disabilities to plan holidays. It lists such things as public transport, parking, equipment hire, accommodation, tourist attractions and national parks, as well as facilities for people with disabilities.

Wheelchair Accessible Australia

John Little was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy (FSH) at the age of 16, so he has first hand knowledge of the challenges faced by people with physical disabilities both in every day circumstances and while travelling.

Muscular Dystrophy is a deteriorating muscular condition that gradually makes it more difficult to walk and use stairs, and John has relied on the use of an electric wheelchair since 1996. While planning his own overseas trip, John found that a major concern for people travelling is the potential damage to their wheelchair which can result from poor handling, especially if you are travelling by air.

In 1999, prior to the Paralympic Games in Sydney, John decided to set up two businesses - one which rents wheelchairs (Wheelchairs to Go) and another which provides sightseeing and shopping tours for people who use wheelchairs or scooters. John's business partner in Wheelchair Accessible Australia, Tony Estevez, takes local and overseas tourists on a variety of adventures including tours of historical parts of Sydney and the harbour foreshores, strolls along the boardwalk at Bondi Beach and short hikes through an unspoilt gum tree forest in the Blue Mountains.

From many aspects of accessibility - services and facilities - John says he feels lucky to be living in Australia. He points out that Qantas is perhaps the only airline in the world at the moment with inflight wheelchair accessible toilets!

Awareness Events

Associations play an important role in providing a link between people with disabilities and the community.

Each year across Australia, awareness weeks are held by various associations in order to improve community understanding of various disabilities.

FEBRUARY
National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Week

MARCH
Muscular Dystrophy Awareness Week

APRIL
Motor Neuron Disease Awareness Week
Arthritis Week
World Health Day (7 April)

MAY
Schizophrenia Awareness Week
International Guide Dog Day (2 May)
Brain Awareness Week
National Epilepsy Awareness Week
Autism Awareness Week
National Volunteer Week
Tourettes Syndrome Awareness Week

JUNE
Multiple Sclerosis Week
Medical Research Week
Amputee Awareness Day
Deaf-Blind Awareness

JULY
Riding for the Disabled National Awareness Week

AUGUST
National Hearing Awareness Week

SEPTEMBER
National Spina Bifida Awareness Week
National Parkinson's Disease Awareness Week
Brain Injury Awareness Week
Stroke Week

OCTOBER
National Mental Health Awareness Week
National Asthma Week
World Mental Health Day - United Nations (10 October)
Down Syndrome Awareness Week
International White Cane Day (Association for the Blind)
Carer's Week (Carers Association of Australia)

NOVEMBER
Post-polio Awareness Week

DECEMBER
International Day of People with a Disability - United Nations (3 December)
International Volunteer Day - United Nations (5 December)
Human Rights Day - United Nations (10 December)

International Year of Volunteers: The United Nations dedicated the year 2001 to volunteers throughout the world. Volunteers are involved with many community groups including with people with disabilities. They may provide support to families, transport or meals, assistance in a crisis, or companionship. To find out more about The International Year of Volunteers, visit www.iyv2001.gov.au

Case Study:
Living With Passion

Judith Geppert is living proof that you can do anything you set your mind to.

Born with Cerebral Palsy, and with oceans of enthusiasm, Judith pursues her artistic, sporting and educational interests with passion.

Cerebral Palsy affects the muscles in the body and can hinder a person's ability to move around, to control body movements and to talk. It can affect people to varying degrees.

Since she was a child in the 1950s, Judith has used a wheelchair. Before the invention of electric wheelchairs, she relied on someone to push her wheelchair if she wished to move around. Electric wheelchairs became available in the 1970s but the designs were not as sophisticated they are today. Judith recalls the gears often getting stuck on her first electric wheelchair, sending it out of control and not necessarily in the direction she wanted to go! These days, Judith uses a lightweight electric wheelchair which she controls with her foot, giving her greater independence. Wheelchairs can be expensive items, so looking at various options, Judith organised a car loan from a bank to pay for it!

Skydiving, parasailing, surfboard riding, climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge, flying over Ayers Rock in a helicopter and being a passenger in an acrobatic aeroplane are just a few of the activities Judith has enjoyed. She has also completed the Duke of Edinburgh Award without any special allowances for her disability.

On the water, Judith enjoys the activities of Sailability, an organisation which modifies boats and arranges recreational activities for people with physical disabilities. Judith has competed in solo sailing competitions, winning a bronze medal at a state level, and a silver medal nationally.

Judith is a strong advocate for equal rights for people with disabilities. She was told that she couldn't have a credit card because she cannot sign her name. Judith fought the decision with the assistance of the Disability Discrimination Commission and now has a credit card. This has benefited other people with disabilities as well. She has also lobbied her local council to provide a bus with wheelchair access.

Desktop publishing and graphic design provide a means of creativity and of employment for Judith. When using a computer, Judith uses a metal pointer attached to a headband to type and to move her turbo mouse (which is rather like a large computer mouse turned upside down). She produces newsletters and brochures and has won awards for her typewriter art (click to see examples of Judith's typewriter art). In 1974, Judith received a Diploma D'Honneur from Paris for a portrait.

In her "spare" time, Judith is a motivational speaker. She talks to school children, youth and various community groups about her life and achievements. Her message is clear: "We all have the same dreams and goals, and just because some of us happen to have a disability, there is really no difference."

Judith's ultimate dream is to experience weightlessness aboard a zero gravity flight - the type of training flight which astronauts take to learn about being weightless in space. That, for Judith, would be the ultimate freedom - to move unassisted and without limitation.

If you would like to find out more about Judith's sporting activities, visit her website www.whomecrazy.homestead.com


Case Study:
The Meaning of Colour

What does colour mean when you've never seen it? Bernard Hemmings has been blind since birth, but colour is still a part of his world. Bernard shares his thoughts about colour and its social meaning.

Firstly, colour does mean something to me in my everyday life. Not from a personal view point, but considering that I live in a sighted world. If I lived on an island where there were no sighted people, colour would mean absolutely nothing to me. However, as this is not the case, colour does play a fairly significant role in my life.

My house is fairly colour co-ordinated. I chose the colours for the interior walls of my house by asking sighted people of different ages what they thought would look good.

I like to conform to what sighted people like, but on the other hand I want to be different. My favourite colours are white and black.

When I socialise with friends, I do my best to look good in colour-coordinated clothes. I am often asked by friends and strangers alike "who selects your clothes, because everything matches?" When I go shopping for clothes, I know what colours predominate in my wardrobe and therefore what I should buy. Also, having a black guide dog helps greatly in this regard. When I had a golden Labrador, life was much more difficult. I like the "black trousers and white business-shirt" look, but I learned very fast that dark clothes and sandy coloured dog hair just don't match!

Colours were described to me in the following way:
* black is very dark - like seeing nothing
* green is a cool colour - when looking at it, you feel cool and relaxed
* white is a clean colour
* red is a hot, uncomfortable colour
* grey is "white and black mixed in equal amounts"
* yellow is "like white, but darker "

As I cannot see, I used to think that lions were as big as horses because they both have manes. When I was a child, I used to imagine that the moon was a round wire cage about five metres across and one metre thick, with a very bright light shining through the wire. Someone must have once described it to me like that.

I have often been asked if I "see" in my dreams and the answer is "no". As I have never experienced sight, how would I know if what I was experiencing was sight? If a person who was blind all their lives could suddenly "see", they would not recognize objects they know only by touch.

Case Study:
Breaking Down the Barriers

Sean and Kerrie McArdle are excited about what they do. In 2000 alone, they spoke to over 16,000 school children, as well as university students, community groups and the general public.

As a husband and wife team, Sean and Kerrie are committed to increasing the community's awareness and understanding of mental illness and the many issues associated with this kind of disability.

Sean has lived with schizophrenia for most of his life. As a young child and teenager growing up in Ireland, he faced considerable rejection from the community due to the effects of his illness, which remained undiagnosed until he was an adult. As a result of the illness and a learning disability, Sean only completed the sixth grade. At the age of 21, he migrated to Australia and met Kerrie. Through more than 23 years of marriage, Kerrie has been Sean's best friend and carer.

In 1992, through a letter published in local newspapers, Sean and Kerrie decided to publicly announce that Sean had schizophrenia, anxiety and depression. It was the beginning of what has become their personal campaign to ensure that people with mental illness, or indeed, any kind of disability, are treated equally.

During that same year, in association with the Schizophrenia Fellowship of NSW, Sean and Kerrie began speaking to school children and other community groups. They set about dispelling the myths about Schizophrenia and other forms of mental illness. Their work, which is voluntary, has become a full time commitment.

Schizophrenia affects people in different ways. Approximately three people in every hundred have Schizophrenia and usually develop symptoms between the ages of 15 and 30.
Symptoms may include:
* delusions or a false set of ideas about reality;
* hallucinations, such as hearing voices (voices can be creative or destructive);
* unpredictable and significant mood changes; and
* an inability to think clearly or make decisions.
Medication is available which may reduce the severity or frequency of these symptoms, although some people with more severe symptoms may require periods of hospitalisation.

Education can change attitudes. Sean and Kerrie have witnessed positive changes in the way that mental illness is perceived in Australia, particularly in the last few years. Through general education and awareness, they have seen a growing number of people with mental illness seek support. They have also encouraged more positive reporting about mental illness in the media.

In the mean time, they continue to break down the barriers.

What YOU Can Do

Mind Your Language
The way that we refer to people with disabilities is important - the language or words which we use.

Through language, we can appreciate that we are all just people, whether or not we have a disability. Therefore, we use phrases like "people with disabilities" instead of "disabled people".

Some examples of phrases to use-
a person who has a disability
a person who is deaf or has a hearing impairment
a person who is blind or has a vision impairment
a person who has schizophrenia
a person who has a mental illness
a person who has cerebral palsy
a person who has autism


'Etiquette' when interacting with a person with a disability

* Accept a person with a disability as a person with feelings, history and the same range of emotions as others.
* Be yourself, be natural and don't force enthusiasm.
* Be an active listener. If you don't understand what the person is trying to communicate, don't be fearful of telling them that you don't understand.
* If you think a person has an intellectual impairment, take the time to listen and gain an understanding of what they are communicating. Ensure that they understand what you are saying. However don't talk down to them.
* Don't make assumptions about what a person wants or what is best for them.
* Speak directly to the person, not to their carer, support worker, companion or interpreter.
* If speaking to a person with a hearing impairment or with an intellectual impairment, face the person directly and speak clearly. Remember your body language also communicates messages.
* A disability is not an illness rather the impact of an illness, injury or birth abnormality.
* Accept any uncustomary mannerisms as part of a person's uniqueness.
* Don't avoid words like "stupid", "slow" or "thick" used in a normal context, or "watch" or "see" if you are talking to a person with a vision impairment. Talk to and treat people in a manner that is appropriate to their age and their relationship to you.
* If asked by a person with a vision impairment to guide them, allow them to take your arm and walk at the same pace. Verbally prompt when nearing obstacles such as steps, curbs or doorways. Don't try to seat the person. Instead, place their hand on the back of the seat.
* Don't pat or distract a guide dog or lean on a person's wheelchair.
* Don't stand over people in wheelchairs or people who are much smaller/shorter than you. Try to put yourself at eye-level, for example, by sitting down.
* If you think a person may require assistance, ask if they would like help and if they say 'yes," ask "what would you like me to do?"


Real Life Situations

Be Sensitive Towards Others
Everyone has a basic need to communicate and to interact with others. The way that we communicate or interact can vary greatly from person to person.

Sometimes a person with an intellectual impairment may act, or respond to a situation, in a way that may seem inappropriate according to existing social rules. Social rules can be difficult to learn, and your understanding and reactions in the situation can make a world of difference. Whatever the situation, it is important for you to respond in a way that respects the other person's feelings.

The examples below apply to a whole variety of situations.

On Public Transport
A person who wants to talk, who may be difficult to understand, or who may position themselves next to you in a way that makes you uncomfortable, may approach you.

What you can do if you feel uncomfortable or threatened: Be polite. Reply with short answers that don't encourage further conversation. If you feel physically uncomfortable, you can say "Oh, you're a bit close." If necessary, make an excuse to move to another place beside another person. You can say "I might just move now. Good bye" and politely move away.

What not to do: If you feel uncomfortable don't encourage conversation. Don't use aggressive words or body language.

On the Street
An individual approaches you, pays you a compliment, and asks a question like "would you be my girlfriend/boyfriend?" From the person's appearance and communication skills, you may feel that this person has an intellectual impairment.

What you can do: Be polite. You could say "What a lovely compliment, but I already have a boyfriend/girlfriend." If the individual persists or makes you physically uncomfortable, indicate your need to leave by saying "I've got to go now." If necessary, you could move towards the nearest shop or towards other people who can provide support. If you are with a group of friends, encourage your friends to also move politely away.

What not to do: Don't encourage conversation. Don't be rude or aggressive as this could be misinterpreted.

The friend who hesitates to invite you home
If a friend won't invite you home "because of their brother or sister", there may be a number of reasons.

What to do: It is OK to ask your friend for a reason. If your friend indicates that they have a brother or sister who sometimes behaves in a manner which may make others uncomfortable, reassure your friend that it doesn't make any difference to you - that you still want to visit them and their family. If you do visit your friend and meet their brother or sister, remember the "etiquette."

Discussion and Further Reading

Questions to Explore in Class

1. How has the United Nations influenced attitudes towards people with disabilities?

2. In what ways are people with disabilities assisted to live within the community?

3. What is the role of a carer?

4. How has the internet changed the way people communicate or "see" one another?

Creative Ideas
* There is a lot you can do to gain a greater understanding of people with disabilities, for example, by participating in the Awareness Weeks listed in this resource. Organisations and Associations for people with disabilities welcome support from school groups.

* What services and facilities are provided in your local area for people with disabilities? Write a brief summary of them.

* Write a poem with the theme "celebrating diversity."

Further Reading
Great Australian Girls and the Remarkable Women They Became - by Susan Geason.

I can Jump Puddles - by Alan Marshall

Smiling at Shadows - by Junee Waites and Helen Swinbourne