Discrimination of the worst kind
William Peacock is a proud Australian who survived polio as a child but as a result of the infection became a quadriplegic in later life.
He’s volunteered to help others for 60 years and been twice nominated for awards for his volunteering, once being nominated as Queensland Volunteer of the year.
Because he’d turned 65 before the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) came to Bribie Island where he lives, he was banned from entry and access to funding – instead ending up having to survive on the My Aged Care Scheme.
So, one day in 2021 when he heard that the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, was coming to the island he arranged to meet him and was introduced to the Prime Minister as a ‘selfless volunteer’.
On that fateful day, Mr Peacock, sitting in his wheelchair, tried to talk to Mr Morrison about this age discrimination. As Mr Peacock puts it:
“You won’t believe what happened. I was absolutely stunned when he said, I needed to talk to the ’party’ about that, then he reached down and patted me on the head and said he would pray for me!”
There were a number of witnesses to this exchange.
“People were shocked and disgusted that he could be so dismissive, rude and patronising. As a person with a disability, you get used to discrimination and rudeness but that took the cake.” Said Mr Peacock.
Mr Peacock has just prepared his yearly budget under the My Aged Care Scheme and there is a whopping $38,000 shortfall to get the care he needs. His only solution he says is: “I have to find ways to compromise.”
Mr Peacock is in this situation entirely because of legislated Age Discrimination in the NDIS – a program that was designed and advertised as for ‘all Australians”
It’s shameful and its wrong, it has to be fixed and there should be no compromise.
Mr Peacock is passionate about ending aged discrimination in the NDIS and calls on all Australians to join the campaign: www.
As Mr Peacock states “The more people who sign this campaign, the more attention we will get ahead of the upcoming election. Disability Doesn’t Discriminate but our Government does.”
Media enquiries: National Campaign Manager – Mr David Margan – 0407 637 181
Further information
For more information on the Disability Doesn’t Discriminate campaign, please visit www.
Recommendation 72 of the Aged Care & Quality Royal Commission states:
Equity for people with disability receiving aged care: By 1 July 2024, every person receiving aged care who is living with disability, regardless of when acquired, should receive through the aged care program daily living supports and outcomes (including assistive technologies, aids and equipment) equivalent to those that would be available under the National Disability Insurance Scheme to a person under the age of 65 years with the same or substantially similar conditions.
