10th Session of Committee on Rights of Persons with Disabilities

th
10
My Journey to the
Session of the Committee
on Rights of Persons with
Disabilities
Judy Huett
I work part time for Speak Out Advocacy in
Tasmania and am passionate about the rights
of people with Intellectual Disability
Earlier this year we found out through DANA
that a group of people with disability and their
support and advocacy organizations were going
to meet with the United Nations in September
2013
The group was looking for delegates to go
to Geneva to present the views of People
with Disability in Australia to the
Committee of the CRPD
I wanted people with Intellectual Disability to be
represented at the United Nations
I applied to be part of the group and was
accepted
I felt very proud to be part of the delegation,
but also nervous as it was a big thing.
I thought… What if I stuff up? Can I make a
difference?
Speak Out helped me to prepare for the meetings
and the trip to the United Nations in Geneva
The members of the delegation
Rosmemary Kayess
Therese Sands
Damian Griffis
Judy Huett
Carolyn
Frohmader
David Heckendorf
Brett Casey
Raja Relf
Paul Cain
Stephen Gianni
Dominique
Vittori
I met with the other delegates from the delegation in
Sydney
The delegation prepared together
Travel to Geneva
We arrived in Geneva
First Day at the United Nations
The Room
This is the room where it all happened
Our delegation talked to the whole
committee
Then my turn came
I talked about two issues I am passionate about
I was told that I could be the first person with Intellectual Disability to ever
speak to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of persons with Disability.
Talking to the committee
We also talked directly to committee members.
This is Edah Maina from Kenya
I felt they were very keen to listen to me and
about the issues of people with disability in
Australia
Committee members are from all over the
world
Mr. Munthian Buntan
from Thailand
Mr. Hyung Shik Kim
from Korea
Mr. Stig Langvad
from Denmark
Ms. Maria Soledad Cisternas Reyes from Chile
Ms. Edah Wangechi Maina
from Kenya
I was lucky enough to talk to these committee members
Report
Each night Dominique and I wrote a report on
what the group did during the day
Easy Read version
Australian Government
Unfinished Business
Graeme Innes
Party time
The Committee released their concluding observations earlier this month
Australia has to do better for
Aboriginal people with disability
Australia has to do better for women with Disability
Australia must close all institutions that are still open
People in sheltered workshops are paid unfairly and
this must stop now
I am very happy that the committee listened to me and agrees that
institutions must close now and that people with Disability need a fair wage
Where to from now ?
Presenting the trip to
Speak Out Members
Minister for Human Services
Cassy O’Connor
Finalist Australian of
the year award
Time to reflect
I am very pleased to have been able to put into practice,
“Nothing about us without us”
Thank you to the following people and
organisations
Funding the delegation to Geneva
Australian Human Rights Commission
FaHCSIA
The Civil Society delegation
Therese Sands, Rosemary Kayess, Damian Griffis, Carolyn Frohmader, Brett Casey,
David Heckendorf, Paul Cain, Stephen Gianni, Raj Elf
Financial supporters
Department of Health and Human Services
National Council on Intellectual Disability
Speak Out members executive
(fundraising)
My support Network
Speak Out Advocacy
Dominique Vittori
Peter Huett