Advocating for Change: Exploring how advocacy, participatory research, and systemic change can pave the way to the elimination of restrictive practices.
Tuesday 10 December
Restrictive practices have long been a concern within the disability community, leading to harm and violating the autonomy and dignity of people with disability. This harm isn't theoretical-it's a lived reality for many, including Deputy CEO Megan Spindler-Smith.
From an advocacy perspective, eliminating restrictive practices requires consistent effort and the empowerment of people with disability as leaders and co-designers of the research that drives systemic change.
"Restrictive practice' means any practice or intervention that has the effect of restricting the rights or freedom of movement of a person with disability."
Restrictive practices are often used in a number of ways against people with disability – in particular those with psycho-social disability. As demonstrated in an article from The Australian on Friday 6 December – Mental health crisis: neglected schizophrenic patients call for change .
Before her 18th birthday, Billie, who wishes to use a pseudonym to protect her privacy, had been admitted to several hospitals as an involuntary patient more than 20 times. She was a competitive and talented water polo player in high school but in the years she should have been planning a bright future, she lost it all. She spent about 1000 days in youth public hospital psychiatric wards.
They were hours, days, weeks and months characterised sometimes by compassion and care but more often than not by fear and degrading treatment. If Billie had accessed the healthcare system with a broken leg, her treatment would have been considered appalling - a treatment no patient experiencing any other kind of ill-health would encounter. The experience has left Billie with a crippling fear of the public health system but she also has a staunch determination to make it better for others. It's the reason she's sharing her story.
Billie recalls being put in seclusion for as long as 24 hours. Mental health wards in Australia have small, purpose-built rooms within the facility to lock patients in when they are in crisis. It's supposed to keep them safe, but in Billie's case it was her prison. She says the room had nothing more than a blue mattress on the floor, with no bedding and no bathroom.
