Media: Disability Royal Commission and CYDA in the media
Media Articles
The Australian 12 October
"Disability advocacy services also told the commission parents often felt their child was left out of regular school events such as sports carnivals, dance class and work experience. Mary Sayers from Children and Young People with Disability Australia, said its 2019 national education survey found 16 per cent of students did not attend school full time, 14 per cent had been suspended and 40 per cent were excluded from school events or activities, in the last year. “Some parents say they have no choice because of these behaviours but to exit the school and undertake home schooling or distance education,” she said. “They really feel that schools have failed them and therefore they have no other option but to home school or enrol in distance education.” Ms Sayers said her organisation’s survey showed families did not believe their students with disability got enough support or were communicated with regularly enough about their progress.
They also didn’t believe teachers had high expectations of them or the training to provide proper support. “Families describe to us the battle they have to face to advocate for inclusion of their child,” Ms Sayers said. “ These attitudes can be summarised by one family who said, ‘I applied to 36 schools, have attended four, which two have removed him, and three would not meet his needs and assaulted him’.”
SMH article October 12
"Mary Sayers, chief executive of the Council of Young People with Disabilities Australia, said her organisation's surveys showed families did not believe their children with disabilities received adequate support. "Families did not believe ... they were communicated with regularly about the student's learning progress, they didn't believe teachers had high expectations of the student, or teachers had the required training to provide a supportive and enriching education environment," she said."
ABC Radio October 12
Many Australians living with disability had experienced a disrupted education long before the pandemic, with higher rates of bullying and disjointed classroom support. Some of those stories will now be examined by the Disability Royal Commission when public hearings resume today.
How Children With Disabilities Are Excluded in Schooling During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Patient worthy August 21
An Australian royal commission is investigating claims that children with disabilities are being excluded from online learning. They are also looking into issues with the services that are provided to those who live with a disability, such as cancellations.
Australian children with disabilities excluded from online learning during pandemic, inquiry told
The Guardian August 19
One mother – known to the commission as ABB – said that when the pandemic led to the introduction of home learning, her daughter, who is 12 years old and lives with Down syndrome, was excluded from her school’s Google Classroom platform. “The first thing that happened was an email from one of the learning and support teachers that indicated that she had not been added to the Google Classroom, which is the platform that all the other students were using,” she said.
Disability Royal Commission hears from woman who has been bedridden for 20 years
ABC News August 19
A woman who has been bedridden for two decades has told a royal commission she's worried she will lose access to life-changing technology after the coronavirus pandemic. Ricky Buchanan has lived with multiple disabilities since she was a teenager and hasn't been able to leave her Melbourne home for 20 years.
Disability education lacking in Australia during coronavirus pandemic, royal commission hears
SBS News August 19
The single mother of a NSW student with Down syndrome felt her daughter was treated like an afterthought when her high school shut due to coronavirus, a royal commission has heard. The woman, who wants to remain anonymous, said educational resources provided by the school were cartoonish and her daughter wasn't included in online learning groups."At the core of this there is some deeply-rooted ableism," she told the commission on Wednesday.