FOR many students with disabilities in Australia, school is not a place of learning and growth, but a daily battle against bullying and exclusion.
A shocking new survey reveals that three in four disabled students were bullied in 2024, with 72 per cent being excluded from school activities.
As the figures climb higher each year, the need for action has never been more urgent. The disability community is now calling on the Federal Government to take immediate steps to ensure that every child, regardless of ability, can feel safe and included at school.
The survey revealed that bullying of students with disabilities included verbal abuse, physical violence, sexual harassment, online bullying, and social exclusion.
Any students reported being subjected to humiliating and violent treatment, including being spat on, threatened, or mocked due to their disabilities.
One of the students impacted is Lily Gaulton, a 12-year-old with cerebral palsy and autism, who described daily struggles with bullying that were dismissed by staff as mere misunderstandings.
Lily’s mother, Jenni Crowther, spoke about the exhausting process of explaining her daughter’s disability to the school and trying to help teachers and students understand neurodivergence.
“The biggest challenge has been getting staff, parents, and students to understand that neurodivergent kids interpret situations differently, and that matters,” she said.
“There are passionate teachers who go above and beyond, but the system isn’t set up to provide them with the resources they need.”
The survey also found that more than two-thirds (71%) of students who left the education system early cited bullying, discrimination, and inaccessibility as key reasons for their departure.
With over 500,000 children and young people with disabilities in Australia, these issues have a significant and lasting impact on the lives of both current and former students.
In 2023, the Disability Royal Commission called for a National Roadmap for Inclusive Education, recognising the importance of an inclusive education system that benefits all students.
