Directions for South Australia
SHIFTING PERCEPTIONS
“It’s time to shift and lift
community perception about
people with disabilities.
We have the right to equal
access. That’s fair.”
Kelly Vincent MLC
Introduction:
Article 8 of the United Nations Convention of Rights of People with Disabilities
encourages all signatories:
To adopt immediate, effective and appropriate measures...to raise awareness
throughout society...regarding people with disabilities.
Current negative representations of people with a disability in the media contribute to
a pre-existing stereotype of people with disabilities.
Many reports, articles, and stories present a person with disability as ‘suffering’, or
‘unhappy’ about their disability, with often a focus on what people may not be able to
do, rather than what our skills, abilities and strengths are.
This, in addition to services, public spaces, and buildings that are not accessible to
all may lead to a broader understanding that people with disabilities are not as highly
valued as others in the South Australian community.
Shifting and lifting community perception and breaking down negative typecasts will
help to promote equal access and opportunities to people of all abilities.
Promoting an understanding of different disabilities within the community will assist
people with a disability in accessing equal accommodation, education, health and
transport support.
Increasing community understanding of disability and disability specific issues also
harnesses the potential to promote a higher quality of overall care and services
provided to people with disabilities.
An understanding of the level of support required by an individual, and an
appreciation for how this support affects their lives is essential to developing good
standards of care and services.
Action:
Dignity Party firmly believe that all people in our society should fully respect the
rights and dignity of people with disabilities.
In South Australia we must:

Aim to reject and combat all stereotypes, prejudices and negative practices
relating to people with disabilities in all areas of their life;

Encourage, at every opportunity, all members of society to understand and
accept an awareness of the capabilities and contributions to society of people
with disabilities;

Provide Government funding and support for organisations and projects that
enable the community to have easy access to information and education
about all forms of disability;

Encourage people with disabilities to use public services (e.g. public transport,
Government offices) whenever possible to further raise public awareness and
acceptance;

Ensure all public buildings and spaces are accessible to all members of the
community;

Ensure Governments and Non-Government Organisations have easy access
for people with disabilities to all information, websites, community services,
events and activities;

Encourage any method of public awareness campaign (e.g. advertising,
promotional, educational) that promotes a greater understanding and
acceptance of the skills, abilities and merits of people with disabilities and
their contributions to our society and how they can be supported;

Encourage people working in the media to portray people with disabilities in a
positive manner to help promote increased public awareness of disability
issues;

Promote national standards and quality assurance of disability services for
people with disabilities, and develop a system of National Accreditation and
Training for all people who work in the disability sector, in order to improve the
current perceived low status of the disability sector as a workplace.
Dignity Party OPPOSE stereotypes, negative representations, and
inaccessible public venues that demote the importance of people with a
disability in the community.
Dignity Party PROPOSE fairness for all, through better accessibility and
understanding of the lives of people with a disability, in order to promote
equal access to opportunities.