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2 weeks ago | 
abc.net.au | Nas Campanella
Finding the right school is a daunting task for any family, but for parents with children with disability there are extra hurdles like ensuring the school will provide the right support for your child. The mother of a boy who is deaf and blind says she's felt frustrated with a lack of clarity over whether he'll receive the assistance specific to his disability.
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2 weeks ago | 
abc.net.au | Mary Lloyd |Nas Campanella
Jamie Bennett always knew finding the right school and supports for her son Ari wouldn't be easy. She didn't expect to face "confusing and baffling" policies, nor to feel frustrated and left in the dark. The four-year-old, who loves dancing and rough-and-tumble play with his brothers, is Deafblind. "He is out to prove everyone wrong. I think he's very underestimated," Ms Bennett said.
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2 weeks ago | 
abc.net.au | Nas Campanella
For many autistic people going out to a concert or the theatre is a no go. The bright lights, noise and unexpected moments in a performance can be confronting. Now a project lead by autistic people is running inclusive events and training staff at some of the country's biggest cultural hubs so that everyone can enjoy a night out.
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2 weeks ago | 
abc.net.au | Nas Campanella |Evan Young
Madeleine Lobsey and her family rarely leave the house — not because they don't want to, but because the world can be a confronting place for them. Madeleine, her husband and their three children are all autistic. "The world just doesn't work for us," she said. "When we're home and it's just us, that's the happy place where we can be ourselves."The Lobsey home is a vibrant haven, where activities like building Lego, board games or baking are aplenty.
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2 weeks ago | 
abc.net.au | Evan Young |Nas Campanella
The death of a man with disability in NDIS-supported housing last month has sparked a police investigation and renewed calls for mandatory provider registration. The ABC can reveal a 42-year-old man died suddenly at a housing facility in the suburb of Acacia Ridge in Brisbane on March 14. The facility was run by a company called Core and Capacity, which was not formally registered with the NDIS, and so was not subject to the same oversight or regulation as providers that have registered.
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1 month ago | 
abc.net.au | Nas Campanella
Can you imagine being held down for a medical procedure, having discriminatory comments made about your child or not fully understanding why you're having an operation? That's the experience of many people with intellectual disability and their parents across Australia's health system. Now advocates are calling on whoever wins the election to increase consultation times and mandate disability training in health degrees so people with intellectual disability receive better care.
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1 month ago | 
abc.net.au | Nas Campanella |Evan Young
Thirteen-year-old Ryan Kelly was born with Down syndrome, as well as profound hearing and vision loss. Years ago, when his mum Rebecca began looking into whether he could get a cochlear implant to help him hear, a doctor questioned why she should bother. "He said, 'What does it matter — can he even talk?'," Ms Kelly said. "It made me feel like he was seen as less than human.
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2 months ago | 
abc.net.au | Nas Campanella
A Victorian woman is taking Uber to court after drivers refused to pick her up 32 times because she was travelling with a guide dog. Her legal representatives argue Uber drivers have breached Australian anti discrimination laws. Disability advocates say it's an endemic problem faced by guide dog users across the country and this legal action represents an opportunity to finally put it to an end. Featured: Paula HobleyJonathon Hunyor, Justice and Equity Centre Lee Kumutat, Guide Dogs Australia
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2 months ago | 
abc.net.au | Evan Young |Nas Campanella
A Victorian woman is suing Uber in the Federal Court, alleging drivers broke disability discrimination laws by refusing to pick up her guide dog on dozens of occasions. Uber says it doesn't take ride refusals lightly and is "committed to working with stakeholders" to prevent it. Advocates say the issue of ride refusals due to guide dogs, which is against the law, has become endemic and current policies aren't working.
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2 months ago | 
abc.net.au | Nas Campanella
Why do you walk like that? Why do you look different? Why do you have a cane? Those are just some of the questions and comments many of the 5.5 million Australians with disability get asked by children when they're out and about. There's no doubt it comes from a place of curiosity but it can also leave the person on the receiving end feeling vulnerable. Parents and carers can also be left wondering how to handle those situations.
