So we now have the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, has the legal and social status of women with disability really changed in Australia? Fiona Given Fiona Given Consulting

Intersectional Discrimination Remains a problem for women with disabilities despite the overarching Article 5 on Equality and Article 6 (CRPD) on Women with disabilities. Article 6 acknowledges that women with disabilities face multiple discrimination. Claims of discrimination can only be brought on one ground. On the grounds of disability under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 or on the grounds of sex under the Sex Discrimination Act the state and territory Anti-Discrimination legislation allows discrimination claims to be brought on any ground, they still do not allow discrimination claims to be brought on more than one ground. This problem will hopefully be rectified once the proposed Equality Bill is introduced later this year.

Removal of Children from Parents with Disability Children continue to be removed from parents with a disability despite Article 23 of CRPD on Respect for home and the family. This article says that “State parties shall render appropriate assistance to persons with disabilities in the performance of their child-rearing responsibilities.” Authorities automatically assume that because a mother has an intellectual disability, she is a bad mother.

The Road Blocks The need for paid and unpaid support in order to get through our daily activities, such as showering, dressing and meal preparation. Perception that we are objects of charity and welfare, as opposed to being rights bearers. This is highlighted in the medias focus on the burden of carers, rather then the burdens we must face and conquer.

The Right Not To Be Patronised.

Social Reform The need for direct care workers to become disability competent, as they are the ones who interact with the public, and would be an ideal vehicle to promote social inclusion. Article 19 of the CRPD states “ Persons with disability have access to a range of in-home, residential and other community support services, including personal assistance necessary to support living and inclusion in the community, and to prevent isolation or segregation from the community.”

Social Reform This important attitudinal training has not been done in the past because the majority of the work is done by females, who’s job is underpaid and not seen as a profession. There is also a need to change language used in disability work. For example, the term carer is a very loaded term that implies complete dependence on the other person. It also implies that the are providing unpaid support. A quick Google search with the term “carer”, returned no results the referenced paid carers. The term attendant or personal assistant are more empowering. It is this empowerment that my new business will endeavor to achieve, by training attendants to embrace a new attitude!

FIONA GIVEN Any questions or enquiries please send me an