By Stella Young
Photo: I'm a full-time wheelchair user. And yet, given the right circumstances, I am able to work. (Mick Tsikas: AAP)
For too long people with a disability have been scapegoats for a system that has failed us, and the response to the Government's review into the welfare system has seen that continue, writes Stella Young.
I once sat across an interview table from a potential employer. I was incredibly well prepared, I was qualified, I was absolutely ready to join this organisation and do this job. Between me, the chair of the interview panel and his two offsiders was a photocopy of my application. Across the top of the document, scrawled in large red pen was the word "wheelchair".
My heart sank. Was it the content of my resume that had given me away? The volunteer work I'd done for disability organisations? Or was it my inquiry as to whether or not the interview space was accessible? Either way, I began that interview with a literal red mark against my name.
I didn't get that job, or the one after that, or the one after that. I had two degrees, I was desperate for work. But I also had, as the chair of that particular interview panel so astutely observed, a disability.
I spent six months existing on the Disability Support Pension (DSP) where I went to interview after interview and received rejection after rejection. Finally, I gave in and applied for a job with a disability organisation that was, quite frankly, outside my area of interest and qualifications. But at least I wasn't on the DSP anymore. At least I wasn't "living off the system".
The federal Government's review of Australia's welfare system was released last week and met with no small degree of alarm in the mainstream media. "Disabling rorters: DSP overhaul could force thousands into workforce," exclaimed the Sunday Telegraph.
The McClure review's interim report recommends moving people from the DSP onto a "working age payment" and only grant the pension to those with permanent disabilities. The thing is, disability is just not that simple.
I have what would certainly be assessed as a permanent disability. I'm a full-time wheelchair user. And yet, given the right circumstances, I am able to work. By "the right circumstances" I mean I need an accessible workplace (where I can not just get into the building but also use the bathrooms), a workplace that is close to a train station (the only form of public transport I can reliably use). And I need an employer who isn't going to decide not to employ me before I've even arrived at the interview. None of those factors are about my ability to work, but rather circumstances that will allow me to.
I also owe my ability to work to some stars that aligned earlier in my life. Mercifully, I received a quality education in a mainstream public primary and secondary school. I was able to complete VCE (which is not possible in any special school in Victoria) and go onto university, where I could earn qualifications to equip me for the kind of jobs I'm physically capable of doing.
In many ways, I'm incredibly lucky to have been born with my impairment, and that it's visible. It means my path has been predictable. It means that I've never been accused of "rorting the system". But what about those for whom disability was not part of the plan? People with conditions that fluctuate, such as fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, or episodic mental health conditions?
These are the people whose needs cannot be met by an accessible building or close proximity to a train station, and yet it is these people who are continually demonised by our mainstream media. The climate of hostility towards people experiencing mental illness in particular is undeniable.
We hear about the "alarming rates" of people with mental illness claiming the DSP. Why are these statements never met with the conclusion that perhaps these "alarming" numbers mean we need to be investing more in mental health services to minimise the impact of mental ill-health on both communities and the economy?
Believe me, people with disabilities are just as concerned about benefit fraud as anyone else. Money spent on those who are not in need is money that isn't being spent on vital services to support us in the community. Likewise, no one is disputing the benefits of employment.
The magnitude of discrimination and stigma faced by people with disability in Australia cannot be underestimated. People do not understand disability, and people fear what they don't understand. For too long, we have been scapegoats for a system that has continued to fail us.
Concepts such as "permanent disability" and "fitness for work" are complicated and nuanced. We need a welfare system that is able to deal with them in a sophisticated way. And we need media reporting that errs on the side of compassion and understanding, not fear mongering.
Stella Young is a comedian, television presenter, disability advocate and was formerly editor of ABC's Ramp Up website. View her full profile here.
Disabling rorters? More like punishing scapegoats - The Drum (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
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