What Does Australia Really Think About… hosted by
Kurt Fearnley, Noni Hazlehurst and
Casey Donovan, premieres 18 August, 8.30pm on SBS and on SBS On Demand.
Five-time Paralympian
Kurt Fearnley believes that people with disability are not disabled by their bodies, but by society.
Noni Hazlehurst, who first graced our screens over 45 years ago, is disturbed by the stereotypical portrayal of old people in the media. And
Casey Donovan, who shot to fame at the tender age of 16 when she won
Australian Idol, has had to put up with comments about her weight ever since.
This new series uses surveys reviewed by the University of Melbourne, University of Queensland and La Trobe University to reveal where Australians stand on disability, old people and obesity. The results paint a clear picture of how stereotypes and misconceptions are still incredibly prevalent in Australian society.
Lily wishes able-bodied people knew the truth about how she thinks of her wheelchair abc.net.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from abc.net.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
“Young people, particularly young women, are at risk of sexual violence,” she said. “We know that. But the risk is heightened for people with disability.
“As this report will show, the risk is sometimes two-fold for people with disability in comparison to people without disabilities. It’s a huge problem, particularly for young women in Australia. It’s an even bigger problem for young women with disability.”
The report, titled “Nature and extent of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation against people with disability in Australia”, was compiled from responses to the Personal Safety Survey, a national survey administered by the Australian Bureau of Statistics that collects data on experiences of interpersonal violence every four years.