Educating Ignorance

This post is a direct response to Pauline Hanson's uneducated comments during the parliamentary debate on the passage of the government's Gonski education reform bill. 

My five year old nephew would be aware that everyone has the right to go to school even people with disabilities. Ms Hanson's comments demonstrated that she is not a true leader, she is only interested in speaking up for what divides the community instead of what improves the community. 

Many of my friends with disabilities and I are living proof of what people with disabilities can achieve if we are given equal access to education. 

What Pauline does not seem to realise is that she is right about one thing; people with disabilities would create an extra burden if integration was stopped and we went back to the Stone Age. 

I was able to achieve a full mainstream education and along the way received many awards, this education allowed me to go on to a career as a professional writer, actor, small business owner, and activist. 

Now I come to the point of the One Nation leader's comments where she singled out people with autism. I have friends with autism that are high level computer technicians, artists, film makers, actors, writers, and accountants. 

It is true that some of these people needed extra help at school and it is also true that not all people with autism can function at such a high level but all disability experts agree that including people with autism, no matter where they fall on the spectrum, benefit the person, family, and community in the long run. 

Many experts also agree the earlier you socialise people with autism the more independent they will be later in life. 

I have also seen the positive results that can be achieved for all children if people with disabilities are included in mainstream education. Children without disabilities that are exposed to children with disabilities tend to be less fearful, more open minded, and compassionate. 

It is true that having a disability can create extra challenges in a learning environment but segregation is not the answer to the challenges, extra funding is. 

I would like to end this blog by asking people to do a google search for the ABC's news item where they ask children with autism themselves how they would respond to Pauline's comments for that is a true education for ignorance.