What do I need to get ready?
If you are a disabled person who has experienced violence, abuse, neglect or exploitation, then the Royal Commission would like to hear from you.
You can also talk to them about the experience of a family member, friend or client who you have supported.
The Commissioners will listen to and read people's stories so that they can understand what happened.
Most people will need to think about what they want to tell the Royal Commission.
It may help to get support, or write things down.
You can also talk to them about the experience of a family member, friend or client who you have supported.
The Commissioners will listen to and read people's stories so that they can understand what happened.
Most people will need to think about what they want to tell the Royal Commission.
It may help to get support, or write things down.
What should I think about?
Think about any bad things that have happened to you in your life.
You might like to write down when they happened (recently, or a long time ago).
You might like to write down where they happened (in a place where you were supposed to be cared for, in your home, in a school, a prison, a group home or any other place).
You might need help to know whether the bad things are things the Royal Commission wants to know about.
The Royal Commission wants to hear about violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.
People With disabilities WA have some fact sheets to help you understand violence, abuse and neglect.
Click here to read them.
We have made another fact sheet about exploitation.
You can download it here.
What kind of help might I need?
The Royal Commission will help you tell your story.
You might have to think about what kinds of support you will need.
If you are a Deaf person, you might need an interpreter.
If you are a staff member or whistleblower, you might need legal advice to make sure you are safe to tell your story.
If you think telling your story might be very hard and that you will be very upset, you might need to talk to a psychologist.
Or you might need someone independent to help you tell your story, especially if you are still living in the place you might have been abused.
The 'Get Help' page will let you know what support is available.
Or you can ring the Royal Commission to find out more.
You might have to think about what kinds of support you will need.
If you are a Deaf person, you might need an interpreter.
If you are a staff member or whistleblower, you might need legal advice to make sure you are safe to tell your story.
If you think telling your story might be very hard and that you will be very upset, you might need to talk to a psychologist.
Or you might need someone independent to help you tell your story, especially if you are still living in the place you might have been abused.
The 'Get Help' page will let you know what support is available.
Or you can ring the Royal Commission to find out more.
What if I live/have lived in an institution?
This video is about Ben Keely.
Ben is talking about what it was like to live in an institution.
People who are living in an institution or have lived in an institution might need extra help to prepare to tell their story.
That includes finding out about the Royal Commission.
It also includes being supported to tell your story independently of your support provider, if you need to.
Some people who have lived in institutions might need help to think about what happened over the years.
There is some information below about institutional abuse.
It might help you work out how to tell your story.
What is institutional abuse?
Some people in Australia have lived in or been cared for in institutions.
An institution is where disabled people live together away from other people.
Institutions can be small (like group homes) or large (like large disability institutions).
Institutions can also be places like hospitals or aged care facilities.
Or they can be places that people visit or use, like jails or day centres.
Institutional abuse is when disabled people are mistreated or neglected by a system or by people working or living there.
It happens in services and places that disabled people live in or use.
Institutional abuse happens:
- When you are not looked after properly because of the way the place is run (routines, systems or staff culture)
- When you are not free to do what other people can do because of the rules at the institution
- When you don’t have any privacy
- When you don’t have the same sorts of choices other people have
- When you are not allowed to be independent
- When you are treated badly in other ways
You might want to tell the Royal Commission about other types of institutional abuse.
The types of things you might want to mention could include;
- Not being able to choose where and how you live
- Not being able to have your own personal support
- Not being kept safe from other residents
- Not being able to choose who you lived with
- Not being able to access community services
- Not being able to see a doctor or a dentist