Disability advocates disappointed over mismanaged processes with the Disability Royal Commission
This week the first round of public hearings for the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability were held over four days in the north-eastern Queensland city of Townsville.
While issues of segregation and inclusive education were debated by union representatives, teachers, parents and carers of disabled students who experienced systematic abuse and bullying in Queensland schools through testimonies, many prominent, outspoken disability advocates including Federal Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John, Convenor for the Disability Royal Commission Action Group, Craig Wallace and Samantha Connor have strongly criticised the mismanagement of the commission’s processes.
This provoked Chief Commissioner Justice Ronald Sackville to single out one or two ‘commentators’ by accusing them of being calculating in discouraging those from “telling their stories to the commission, and also to increase the levels of anxiety” during his opening statement.