Autism awareness can not necessarily change human nature. In Victoria, Australia, residents near a church proposed as a day center for adults with autism have voiced their objections to the proposal, delaying approval by local authorities and potentially defeating the proposal. The story from the Star News Group does not provide any specifics of the objections. The good citizens involved appear to be fearful but why?ADULT clients of Alpha Autism have experienced further delays in settling down in a permanent site in Keilor.
Alpha Autism will have to present its case to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) to use the Keilor Christ Church building as a day centre for adults with autism after more than four objections were submitted.
Alpha Autism chief executive officer Tracel Devereux said the Keilor clients had already been moved temporarily to other Alpha Autism sites outside the Brimbank area as the former site, the Keilor Scout Hall, had no heating and clients were getting too cold.
Alpha Autism submitted an application to Brimbank City Council to move into the Christ Church Keilor building on the corner of Church and Kennedy streets in Keilor.
The application stated that up to 25 adults with autism would spend time between 9am and 3pm, Monday to Friday, most weeks at the church building.
The application met objections from residents living nearby, with the objectors and the applicants addressing the council at a general purpose meeting on 26 June.
The application then followed processes and was approved by council last month.
More than four objections have been received by VCAT.
Ms Devereux said Alpha Autism had 14 days to respond to each objection.
“I’m very sadden by it,” she said.
“It is a very potent message to people with disabilities that they are not wanted.”
Ms Devereux said Alpha Autism had the support of the owner of the Christ Church building to pursue matter and Alpha would be applying to have the matter heard by VCAT as an urgent matter.
http://www.starnewsgroup.com.au/story/46939
Looks like we still have a long way to go.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes
As I've recently ranted on your blog (commenting the August 7 post), this attitude of the so-called normal people is disgusting.
ReplyDeleteI wonder, don't they have any autistic children in their own extended families?
Autistics are not aliens, they are our children, our people.