Damian Mellifont
This book is informed by authors with lived experience of disability and genuine disability allies. After providing a brief introduction to the chapters to follow, the book commences by addressing the challenging question of, who has lived experience of disability? The Australian disability policy issues to be discussed in the book are diverse and include: gaps between disability policy intention and the needs of Australians with disability; restrictive practices faced by individuals with disabilities; the roles of linguistic and information deprivation in poor outcomes for people with disability; challenges experienced by older people living with dual sensory impairment; disparities in disability support, healthcare access, and awareness between rural and metropolitan Australia, with a specific focus on Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease; barriers to participatory research involving neurodivergent individuals; and the lack of disability inclusion and leadership representation across Australian academic institutions. Crucially, in addition to raising Australian disability policy challenges, the book offers readers with future research directions that collectively endeavour to inform evidence-based ways in which to redress these pressing issues.
