Monday, 10 August 2009

Disabilities report exposes exclusion, neglect

The Age (Melbourne), this morning followed up the release of the National Disabilities Strategy Consultation Report, Shut Out (see this post from last Wednesday) with the view of a real family:

Julian McAlpine is a happy eight-year-old boy living with Down syndrome. He goes to school, has plenty of friends and attends scouts with his brothers - but Julian's mother fears for his future.

''I want the same thing for Julian as my other sons. I want him to have somewhere to live, I want him to have someone to love, I want him to have a job, I want him to live an ordinary life,'' Catherine McAlpine says.

''But it's scary. You talk to other parents with adult offspring and it really is difficult to achieve all of those things.''


Click here for the full text of Julia Medew's report, and a beautiful photograph of Julian and Catherine McAlpine. Catherine is the CEO of Down Syndrome Victoria

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