Civil liberties, disability and mental health

[K]

COVID has revealed some uncomfortable truths about Australia and people with disability

https://www.smh.com.au/national/covid-h ... 55w00.html

"It is particularly striking that some witnesses expressed a fear that people with disability would be given a low priority for access to life saving treatment or care simply because of their disability. This fear was part of a more general theme that people with disability feel devalued. Witnesses explained that some language that is widely used makes them feel that they are regarded as a burden on the community. Dispiriting commentary on social media conveys a message that COVID-19 is about “survival of the fittest” and that the “fittest” do not include people with disability.
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The fundamental challenge facing the royal commission is to lay the foundations for a more inclusive society that values people with disability and gives practical effect to their human rights guaranteed by international law.

This will require legislative and policy reforms instituted by governments, but it will also require changes in community attitudes towards people with disability whose struggles to achieve autonomy, independence and freedom from discrimination have been all too easy to overlook or downplay.
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To be included in society is the entitlement of every Australian. To contribute to inclusiveness is the responsibility of every Australian."