Recommendations of the Disability Royal Commission fail to recognise families, siblings in particular, as natural lifelong supports for people with intellectual disabilities

Abstract

The Final Report of the Disability Royal Commission (the Commission) takes a largely generic view of disability and does not fully consider the complex experiences and needs of people with intellectual disabilities and the unique ways that families can contribute to the fulfilment of their lives. The aim of this article is to fill this gap by highlighting the importance of the family context, the “informal supports” or “natural safeguards” provided by many families, and the contributions these relationships make to the safety and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities. Given the significance of family relationships for this group, it is unfortunate that the Commission’s recommendations pay limited attention to the considerable value family relationships add to the lives of people with intellectual disabilities, especially sibling relationships, which can last a lifetime. The Commission’s recommendations provide little that contributes towards strengthening or enabling families to better support their relatives with intellectual disabilities, or that promotes recognition of the complications that can arise in these relationships and how they might be avoided. The Report often fails to recognise the potential for families of people with intellectual disabilities to keep them safe, facilitate social encounters within their local communities, and minimise challenges, such as negative attitudes, to their inclusion. I argue that the “human rights approach” alone cannot fully address the specific challenges that people with intellectual disabilities and their families face. Policies, supports, and services could provide more tailored approaches to ensure stronger relationships, greater social inclusion, and improved safety for people with intellectual disabilities and the families who support them.