Disability Royal Commission Interim Report – Letter to the Editor

I welcome the Disability Royal Commission’s interim report on its first 15 months of operations.

There are many lessons to be learnt from the evidence shared with the Royal Commission by people whose lives have been impacted by violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.

Abuse is not inevitable for people with disability and must not be tolerated under any circumstances.

The report makes special note of the difficulties of reaching all people with disability who have experienced abuse.

For this reason, Endeavour Foundation continues to encourage all people with disability to contact the Commission or an advocacy organisation that can assist them in doing so, if they wish to speak out.

I acknowledge the courage of those who have already come forward and shared their experiences, and I applaud the Commission’s commitment to creating a safe, inclusive and accessible environment for people who wish to disclose abuse.

The interim report highlights many of the far-reaching challenges people with disability experience, from policy and funding constraints, sector practices and interfaces with other mainstream services to a lack of understanding and undesirable community behaviour.

We all must listen to people with disability who are speaking out in the Royal Commission, so our nation can become a place where people with disability feel safe, valued, and free to live the lives of their choosing.

Andrew Donne
Endeavour Foundation CEO