The disability royal commission heard horrific stories of harm – now we must move towards repair

• The final report of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability follows years of advocacy from the disability community.
• The final report recommends disability service providers offer redress to people with disability who experience harm while receiving their services.
• Read more:
  Disability royal commissioners disagreed over phasing out 'special schools' – that leaves segregation on the table

What do ‘institutionalisation’ and ‘segregation’ mean?

• All people with disability have the human right to live independently in the community regardless of how high their support needs are.
• In 20th century Australia, people with disability were institutionalised in many large residential settings.
• People with disability remain traumatised by their experiences, yet governments and charities have not been called to account.
• Read more:
  The disability royal commission recommendations could fix some of the worst living conditions – but that's just the start

Problems today

• Today, many people – especially those with intellectual disability – live in group homes where segregation, social isolation, violence and lack of choice in their daily lives are a common reality.
• The disability royal commission heard how group homes replicate the harm of large residential settings, with operators failing to prevent violence and avoiding accountability.

Recognising wrongs

• Reparations are actions to recognise and respond to systemic wrongs.
• They might involve compensation, restitution (such as returning money or property) or rehabilitation (health or legal services).
• Reparations can seek satisfaction (with apologies and memorials) and guarantees something won’t happen again via law reform or human rights education.

What do people with disability want?

• It is time to work with people with disability towards a national apology from the government.
• In 2021, the Council for Intellectual Disability demanded withdrawal of an application for tourist re-zoning of Peat Island (the site of a disability institution for 99 years) and for memorialisation and truth-telling.
• We found people with intellectual disability support the wider community learning more of what was experienced in these places.
• Read more:
  'Don't shove us off like we're rubbish': what people with intellectual disability told us about their local community

A way forward

• The disability royal commission has highlighted systemic violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation in today’s Australia.
• Reparations are one way to do this.
• Jack Kelly has contributed to projects that have been funded by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).