Until the s many people with disabilities were cared for by their families, as there was little government support. Some people were cared for in the Royal Derwent Hospital, and from some segregated special schools, such as Dora Turner and Talire Hobart , and classes in other schools, educated children with disabilities, but lack of recognition of the rights of people with disabilities meant it was difficult to gain access to services.
However, in , People with Disabilities became activated after such people were denied a voice at a Rehabilitation International Conference, which comprised mainly professionals and nobody with disabilities. Robin organised 22 people with disabilities to attend including a quadriplegic.
The process was challenging as every type of disability had to be accommodated. The main issues to date have been advocacy, access, information and education.
The focus has been to move from relying on professionals, to people with disabilities having more voice in their own lives. Dr Christopher Newell AM has been instrumental in lobbying in national and international arenas. In the early s, largely due to pressure, the Australian Government began a review of services which led to the Disability Services Act The Ministerial Advisory Committee for the Handicapped, comprising professionals and service providers, was abolished and a new Disability Advisory Council was formed, a revolutionary concept with four consumers, a representative of parents and a service provider.
DPIT supported the idea of a non-medical model of personal care and Robin with assistance wrote the proposal, within a human rights framework.
