Back: Alastair McEwin AM, Ms Barbara Bennett PSM, The Honourable John Ryan AM, Ms Andrea Mason OAM
Front: The Honourable Roslyn Atkinson AO, The Honourable Ronald Sackville AO QC, Professor Rhonda Galbally AC
Image Courtesy of Royal Commission website.
On 5 April 2019, the Prime Minister, the Hon Scott Morrison MP, and Minister for Families and Social Services, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, announced the establishment of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability.
In Australia, royal commissions are the highest form of inquiry on matters of public importance.
Recent inquiries and reports have shown that people with disability are more likely to experience violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation than people without disability.
Learnings for Royal Commission will help to inform Australian governments, institutions and the wider community on how to prevent and better protect, people with disability from experiencing violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation in the future.
In December 2019 Chair of the Commission, the Honourable Ronald Sackville AO QC, released the First Progress Report. His Honour reminded us that “The voices and experiences of people with disability are at the centre of this Royal Commission. It is critical to the success of the Royal Commission that people with disability who have experienced violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation feel safe to share their experiences and receive the full range of supports to do so. We acknowledge that we shall also have to actively seek out people who otherwise may not have direct access to engage with the Royal Commission, for example people with cognitive disabilities living in closed environments.”
The Royal Commission website provides information about the workings of the Commission, upcoming hearings, how to make a submission, hearing transcripts and support advice.
As the Commission Chair says, it is critical that people with a disability feel safe to and receive support to share their experiences. The Disability Royal Commission Legal Service has just been launched to provide advice, information and referrals to people interested in interacting with the Disability Royal Commission. The service is a joint agency formed by National Legal Aid (NLA) and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (NATSILS) to provide information and advice to people who want to share their experiences with the Disability Royal Commission. More information about this service can be found here.
The Disability Royal Commission First Progress Report is available on the Commission’s website or we can provide you with an electronic or hard copy simply by emailing our Golden City Support Services Customer Services Team (enquiry@gcss.org.au ) or give us a call on 1800 001 005.
