{"id":3215,"date":"2025-03-03T10:03:10","date_gmt":"2025-03-02T23:03:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.melbasupport.com.au\/?p=3215"},"modified":"2026-06-14T22:56:51","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T12:56:51","slug":"australias-healthcare-system-failing-people-with-intellectual-disability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.melbasupport.com.au\/australias-healthcare-system-failing-people-with-intellectual-disability\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia&#8217;s healthcare system failing people with intellectual disability\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"3215\" class=\"elementor elementor-3215\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-35c837c2 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"35c837c2\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-46b88fa3 e-con-full home-banner e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"46b88fa3\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1c212a9b elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget-laptop__width-initial elementor-widget-tablet_extra__width-initial elementor-widget-tablet__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"1c212a9b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Australia&#8217;s healthcare system failing people with intellectual disability\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-28595afb elementor-widget elementor-widget-post-info\" data-id=\"28595afb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"post-info.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"elementor-inline-items elementor-icon-list-items elementor-post-info\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item elementor-repeater-item-f88c87c elementor-inline-item\" itemprop=\"datePublished\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text elementor-post-info__item elementor-post-info__item--type-date\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<time> 3 March 2025<\/time>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4128eccf e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"4128eccf\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7552bec0 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"7552bec0\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-62db0b37 link elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"62db0b37\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Australia\u2019s healthcare system is failing people with intellectual disability, with advocates calling for urgent reforms to address systemic neglect, discrimination and inadequate medical care.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Parents and advocacy groups say people with intellectual disability routinely face dismissive and discriminatory treatment from healthcare professionals.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Rebecca Kelly\u2019s son Ryan was born with Down syndrome as well as hearing and vision loss, says she has struggled for years to secure proper medical care for him.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">When she first inquired about a cochlear implant for Ryan, a doctor questioned whether it was necessary. \u201cHe said, \u2018What does it matter \u2013 can he even talk?\u2019\u201d Kelly told the ABC.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cIt made me feel like he was seen as less than human. To hear it from someone who should know better \u2026 it was shocking.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Kelly said medical staff had repeatedly dismissed and devalued Ryan, who mostly communicates through body language.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">She said one paediatrician was surprised she didn\u2019t terminate her pregnancy.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cShe looked at him, and she looked at me, and she said, \u2018Oh, didn\u2019t you have the [Down syndrome] test?\u2019,\u201d Kelly said.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cIt felt like a real kick in the face \u2026 the presumption was that I\u2019d made a mistake and that if I\u2019d known he wouldn\u2019t be there.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cHe wasn\u2019t a mistake. He\u2019s a delightful child whose life has value.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Kelly is not alone in her experiences, other families have shared similar experiences.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cThis year, one parent told me that their child stopped walking, and they took them to the doctor thinking they\u2019ve injured their legs \u2026 and the doctor said, \u2018Oh, it\u2019s normal for Down syndrome \u2013 they\u2019re a bit lazy\u2019.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cSome medical professionals see the lives of people with intellectual disability as less-than. When you don\u2019t think someone has value \u2026 then you don\u2019t treat them the same way as you do your other patients.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Kelly\u2019s experiences are part of a broader pattern of \u201cdiagnostic overshadowing,\u201d where medical professionals assume a person\u2019s symptoms are due to their disability rather than properly assessing their condition. The disability royal commission has heard extensive testimony about systemic neglect, including reports of people with intellectual disabilities being forcibly restrained during procedures and receiving substandard care.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">According to the Council for Intellectual Disability (CID), Australia has nearly 500,000 people with intellectual disability, many of whom struggle to access appropriate healthcare.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Senior CID advocate Jim Simpson said the healthcare challenges faced by this group were \u201ccomparable to third-world countries\u201d.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In response, CID has launched a campaign urging the next federal government to mandate intellectual disability training in medical degrees and introduce financial incentives for longer consultations.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cThat 10-minute consultation that GPs generally have with patients does not work for people with intellectual disabilities, who need more time for communication,\u201d Simpson told the ABC.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In 2021, the former Coalition government released a 10-year\u202f<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.gov.au\/our-work\/national-roadmap-for-improving-the-health-of-people-with-intellectual-disability\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">National Roadmap for Improving the Health of People with Intellectual Disability<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, which provided a blueprint for change.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Melba Outcomes Specialist Janet McLeod said while the current government had implemented some of its recommendations more could be done.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201c<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The roadmap identified 72 short-term \u2018actions\u2019 to complete within three years. But so far, only nine of them have been completed<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In addition to the impact on the person, this inadequate healthcare also results in significant ongoing costs \u2013 financial, social, psychological, and physical \u2013 to their network of support.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Health Minister Mark Butler acknowledged the \u201cserious\u201d health inequities faced by people with intellectual disability and said the government \u201ccontinues to support the implementation\u201d of the roadmap.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">However, Kelly remains unconvinced. \u201cGetting good care for Ryan is very time-consuming, stressful, and takes a lot of skill,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cWhen I\u2019m not here, who\u2019s going to do that?\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Want to learn more and help? Here are two things to consider:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>The Council for Intellectual Disability is running a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/cid.org.au\/our-campaigns\/our-health-still-counts\/\">campaign<\/a>\u00a0calling on the Australian Government to take \u201creal action\u201d for intellectual disability health.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/cid.org.au\/our-campaigns\/our-health-still-counts\/#addyourvoice\">You can add your voice here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/nceidh.org.au\/\">National Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health<\/a>\u00a0is holding a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com.au\/e\/national-centre-of-excellence-in-intellectual-disability-health-conference-tickets-1138470358489?aff=oddtdtcreator\">two-day conference<\/a>\u00a0in Sydney (in person) and online from 3 July to discuss the work being undertaken in this space and help improve the future of health care for people with intellectual disability.\u202f\u202f<a href=\"mailto:https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com.au\/e\/national-centre-of-excellence-in-intellectual-disability-health-conference-tickets-1138470358489?aff=oddtdtcreator\">Register<\/a>\u00a0before 28 March for a discount.\u202f\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/nceidh.org.au\/conference-scholarships\">Scholarships<\/a>\u00a0are also available for people with intellectual disability, or a family member or supporter of a person with intellectual disability.\u202f\u202f<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-53c753d7 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"53c753d7\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1442810d e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"1442810d\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div 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care.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":6450,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3215","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Australia&#039;s healthcare system failing people with intellectual disability\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 | Melba Support Services<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Australia&#039;s healthcare system is failing people with intellectual disability, with advocates calling for urgent reforms to address systemic neglect, discrimination and inadequate medical care.\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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