Episode 139 - Developmental Disability WA with James, Georgie & Justin [disability series]

For this episode Dorinda visited the offices of Developmental Disability WA (DDWA) with our practicum student Sumaya and speaks with 3 guests with experience living with developmental disability and navigating the health system as consumers. James, a member of the DDWA advisory council, discusses some positive experiences with hospitals and the support he received from his parents and doctors, as well as the need for improvements like reducing hospital wait times and providing separate areas for people with disabilities in emergency departments. Georgie, who manages a back injury along with a disability, discusses problems such as the lack of understanding and respect from hospital staff, emphasising the need for better communication and support. Justin, a disability advocate, calls for a specialised disability hospital to address the unique needs of people with disabilities, highlighting the current system's failures in providing adequate care and support, Justin calls for simple steps to be taken such as making documents such as information and consent forms more accessible for people with disability. Many thanks to Mary Butterworth, CEO of DDWA who helped make this episode possible. You can read more about DDWA here: https://ddwa.org.au As always, if you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can contact us at: meaningofhealth@outlook.com Instagram Twitter/X Bluesky @healthmeanswhat FaceBook @MeaningofHealth Visit our website: https://meaningofhealth.com.au/