Life to Live

The history of people with disabilities in Australia - 100 years

A resource guide prepared by: Disability Services Australia Ltd

An Overview


The history of people with disabilities in Australia is about understanding and celebrating the diversity which exists among Australians.

In the past one hundred years we have come a long way towards recognising the rights of all individuals. We all have hopes, dreams, disappointments and achievements. We need to be able to express these things in our own unique way and to make choices about our lives no matter what we are like physically, intellectually or emotionally.

With dramatic changes in attitudes towards people with disabilities over the last few decades and the influence of such organisations as the United Nations, we are learning to focus on abilities rather than disabilities and to avoid labelling each other because of the way we are. Our language is changing to positively reflect these things and our Governments have instituted laws to ensure that we will all have access to the same opportunities, the same services and benefits within the community.

The last few decades have brought about significant changes in education, employment and technology for people with disabilities. People with disabilities are able to participate more fully in all aspects of community life and to advocate for change. Sporting achievements have been celebrated both locally and internationally, while diversity in all its forms has been expressed through the arts.

Australia formally became a nation in 1901. Through this resource we look at our history over the last hundred years in relation to people with disabilities - where we have come from, the changes we have witnessed and our hopes for the future.

You are invited to explore, to learn and to contribute to our history, our nation.


Acknowledgements

A. E. Stegman: The Life and Art of a Remarkable Artist by Marc Alexander 2000
Adrienne Smith
Aust Dept of Health and Aged Care
Austin Hospital, Victoria
Australian Caption Centre
Australian Deaf Sports Federation Limited
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
Australian Paralympic Committee
Autism Association of NSW
Bernard Hemmings
Br John Adams
Brain Injury Association of NSW
Centec
Centrelink
Cochlear
Dennis Rutzou
Department of Family and Community Services
Department of Health and Aged Care, 1998 Annual Report
Disability Services Australia (Mike Sumner, Paul Bruce, Joanne Ackerley, Catherine Dickson, Tony Lund, Scott Holtz)
Edging to Integration: An Australian Experience by Stan Doenau, 1984
Education of the Deaf and Hearing Impaired; A Brief History by Barbara Lee Crickmore
Employers Making a Difference (EMAD)
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Encarta
Extending Horizons - A Mark of Meaning by Bernard Gummett, 2001
Final Report of the Strategic Review of the Commonwealth Disability Services Program
Fred Hollows Foundation
From Then to Now and Back Again - presentation by Chris Morris ACROD-CTCD Conference, Sydney, 1-2 June 2000.
Great Australian Girls and the Remarkable Women They Became by Susan Geason
Guide Dog Association of NSW
Guide Dog Society of NSW
History of Pensions and Other Benefits in Australia (Year Book Australia, 1971, Aust Bureau of Statistics)
History Today By Pamela Tudor-Craig, January 1998 edition.
Jan Brown
John Little
Judith Geppert
Kate Rosen
Lance Lenehan
Leanne Crawford
Living in The State of Stuck: How Assistive Technology Impacts the Lives of People with Disabilities by Marcia J. Scherer
Lutheran Braille Workers
Michael J. Boorne
Motor Neuron Disease Association of NSW (Carol Birk)
Mouth and Foot Painting Artists (Simon Jackson)
MS Society of NSW
Muscular Dystrophy Society of NSW
National Injury Prevention
National Institute of Mental Health (USA)
No Longer by Gaslight by John W Flynn
NSW Genetics Education Program - Royal North Shore Hospital
NSW Public Health Bulletin Aug-Sept 1997 "One Hundred Years of Vaccination"
Painters First, Art Celebrating the Conquest of Misfortune by Marc Alexander 1995
Paraquad (Bob Duncan)
Paul Griffith
Roads and Traffic Authority of NSW
Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children (John Berryman, Janet Granger, Leonie Cheetham)
Schizophrenia Fellowship of NSW
Schooling for Students with Disabilities by M.M. De Lemos, 1994
Sean and Kerrie McArdle
Spastic Centre of NSW
Special Olympics Australia
St Edmunds School for the Blind
State of the Arts Publications
Teaching with Technology for Students with Learning Disabilities by Jeffrey Veen
The Disability Rights Movement in Australia - Towards Consumerism by Christopher Newell, Gateways Newsletter
The Memphis Center for Independent Living
Tim Noonan
UNSW Department of Education
VICDEAF
World Health Organisation, "International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health"

Glossary

Common Terms Associated with Disability

Acquired Brain Injury - a loss of brain function which may be caused by such things as accidents, excessive drinking of alcohol or use of drugs, stroke, brain tumours and lack of oxygen from near drowning or a severe asthma attack.

Anxiety - an emotional reaction to danger or threat, whether real or perceived. A high level of anxiety can affect a person's ability to hold a job, form relationships or enjoy other daily activities.

Assistive technology - a piece of equipment or a device which increases or maintains a person's ability to perform certain tasks.

Autism - a disability which affects a person's ability to perceive and interpret their world. It can affect a person's ability to understand and use language, to interact with other people, and to make sense of things around them. Repetitive behaviour, extreme sensitivity and sensory distortion are often commonly associated with autism.

Bionic ear - a device which is placed in the ear during an operation which can convert sound into electrical impulses, which in turn directly stimulates the hearing nerves. The brain then interprets this as sound.

Bipolar disorder - a form of mental illness which is characterised by extreme swings in mood, often from euphoria or a high level of excitement, through to depression.

Braille - a system of raised dots, with patterns of up to six dots representing letters of the alphabet or numbers.

Caption - on-screen text which accompanies television or film images and reflects what is being spoken, as well as describing sound effects and music.

Cerebral Palsy - a condition which affects the muscles in the body and can hinder a person's ability to move around, to control body movements and to talk.

Depression - an illness which causes an individual to react to distressing situations to a greater degree than usual. It generally lasts longer, is more intense, and can result in anxiety, poor sleep or loss of appetite.

Disability - a limitation, restriction or impairment which a person may experience in relation to their daily activities. Common forms of disability relate to physical, sensory or mental functions.

Epilepsy - a condition which involves recurring seizures. It may take many forms including sudden body movements, confusion, disorientation and convulsions causing loss of consciousness.

Hearing aid - a hearing device which amplifies sound.

Hearing impairment - a partial or complete inability to hear.

Intellectual disability - a slowness to learn, process information and function within society.

Learning disability - a disability which may affect such things as speaking or understanding speech, spelling, reading, writing, arithmetic, concentration, or completing tasks. More than one of these abilities may be affected.

Mental illness - a condition which affects a person's ability to cope with living. One's thoughts, feelings, ability to communicate, to work and to carry out normal daily activities can be affected.

Motor Neuron Disease - a group of diseases which attacks the nerve cells in our bodies which enable us to move, speak, breathe and swallow.

Mobility - the ability of a person to move around in an environment.

Multiple Sclerosis - also known as MS, a disease which affects the central nervous system and may cause temporary or permanent disabilities in varying degrees, such as decreased mobility, speech impairment, loss of bladder control, reduced vision and fatigue.

Muscular Dystrophy - a group of disorders which causes muscles to degenerate and become weak and wasted. The disease gradually takes away body strength.

Paraplegia - paralysis of the lower half of the body, including the legs.

Poliomyelitis -often referred to as polio, it is a viral disease that damages the nervous system and often results in paralysis which may be temporary or permanent.

Psychiatric disabilities - a mental illness which may be temporary or permanent. Types of psychiatric disability include schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, eating disorder and anxiety.

Quadriplegia - paralysis of both the arms and the legs.

Rubella - also known as German Measles, it is a disease which is known to cause damage to the heart, brain and hearing of unborn children if contracted during pregnancy.

Schizophrenia - a group of mental illnesses which may cause disturbances in feelings, perceptions, thoughts and behaviour.

Sensory - relates to the senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste.

Sign Language - a complex language consisting of signs. Body movements and facial expressions are also important indicators of meaning.

Text Telephones - telephones with a keyboard for typing messages and flashing lights to indicate a call.

Vision impairment - a partial or complete inability to see.