Media Release

12 February 2015
United Voices for People with Disabilities ("UVPD") welcomes yesterdays
unanimous decision by the Senate to conduct a national inquiry into the violence,
abuse and neglect of people with disabilities in institutional and residential settings
On behalf of UVPDs members and everyone who has been campaigning for an
inquiry such as this, we thank Western Australian and Greens Senator, Racheal
Siewert for taking the initiative and adopting a pro-active approach in tabling this
motion for an inquiry and to all the Senators who support it.
There is a long way to go and a lot of hard work to be done before this inquiry will
bring about the necessary reforms and changes that are required to better protect
our communitys most vulnerable people.
UVPD would also like to thank Carolyn Frohmader, Women with Disability Australia
(WWDA) for her tireless commitment and the significant contribution to this cause
over an extended period of time. Without her drive and determination to have a
national inquiry of some form, we may have been waiting longer.
UVPD member Jules Anderson who was shown exceptional strength and courage to
publicly expose the abuse that she and other residents at a Yooralla Community
Residential Unit (CRU) had to endure was in Canberra yesterday with UVPD
President Peter Cross to, along with other national disability advocacy groups, to
support the call for the inquiry.
Mr Cross paid tribute to Ms Anderson and others for their courage in speaking out.
"Without individuals coming forward and having the bravery to share their individual
circumstances, I don't believe this inquiry would have happened." UVPD have been
raising issues of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disabilities,
particularly at Yooralla, for some time.
"The comprehensive terms of reference will leave no stone unturned because it
include a broad range of settings such as boarding homes, day services, recreation
programs, mental health facilities, schools, school buses, aged care facilities and
hospitals to ensure that any sort of abuse against people with disabilities can be
raised and exposed" said Mr Cross.

Thanks also to UVPD members who were heavily involved in the recent Four
Corners expos. This generated an unprecedented national response of shock and
horror at the levels of violence and abuse of people with disabilities at Yooralla. It
also highlighted the cover-up that ensued when individual Yooralla staff and parents
raised their concerns, and for the first time brought disability advocacy groups
together in a show of solidarity for the greater good of people with disabilities.

Enquiries to: Peter Cross

United Voices for People with Disabilities
0417 157 687