Any type of physical disability can make a person’s life difficult. However, when a person is discriminated against because of their disability, it makes a bad situation even worse. In Australia, there have been many instances of physically disabled people getting mistreated despite there being laws present to prevent discrimination.

Rising Disability Discrimination in Australia Despite Stringent Laws

Laws such as Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cwlth) prohibit people from mistreating the disabled. However, disabled people have reported many instances where they have faced discrimination. For instance, in 2019 alone, 1 in 5 (22%) people over the age of 15 years reported that they experienced some type of discrimination, including disability discrimination.

The worrying thing is that disability discrimination is the largest reported law violation against all cases of discrimination, especially when we talk about the cases reported to the Human Rights Commission (AHRC). When we talk about percentages, you will be surprised to learn that over 46.4% of disability complaints were about disability discrimination.

Who are the Discriminators?

Discrimination can be a bitter pill to swallow for those who experience it. Sometimes, it is hard to fathom why someone would discriminate against someone who is already living a life of difficulty. So, let’s reveal the discriminators and their prevalence in the Australian society:

• People Providing Goods and Services: As per statistics, people who provide goods and services are the biggest culprits when it comes to disability discrimination with 1 in 3 disabled people confirming the fact.
  
• Employers: According to data, 25% (1 in 4) of disabled people said that their employers were the ones who discriminated against them.
  
• Colleagues at Work: Almost 18% of people with a disability said that they were discriminated against by their fellow colleagues at work. This could be particularly disheartening and negatively impact their performance at work.
  

Such stark facts clearly point towards a sense of social apathy towards disabled people in Australia.

Negative Impact of Disability Discrimination on Disabled People in Australia

Disability discrimination is an unpleasant truth that is present in our society. The data in yesteryear’s report clearly shows that it is a major social issue that has an extremely negative impact on the psyche of individuals with disability.

People who experience disability discrimination are less likely to participate in social activities. As a result, they are more likely to live in isolation and fall prey to psychological problems like depression and anxiety. According to studies, disabled people who experience discrimination are more than twice as likely as those who do not (suffer the same fate) to have high or very high levels of psychological distress, making their lives a living nightmare.

The problem can be extremely severe for school-going children who have a developing mind. Instead of building a positive outlook toward life that will help them achieve greater things in life, they might end up giving up on it entirely.

Even cold hard facts point to a lack of interest in going outside when disabled people are discriminated against. Consequently, social isolation is on the rise and affecting the lives of disabled individuals.

Final Thoughts

Considering the fact that disability discrimination is on the rise and actively compromising people’s lives, it is very important to help people overcome the problem through timely support. If you have a loved one suffering from some type of disability and undergoing a crisis in life due to discrimination, you should seek help from disability service providers in Australia like Concept Care. With long-term experience in helping disabled people, Concept Care is a ray of positivity that can help disabled people overcome the trauma of discriminatory behaviour and live fulfilling life.