To learn more about the experiences of people with learning disability, the Human Rights
Commission asked researchers at the Donald Beasley Institute to:
• Find out what is known about the abuse of people with learning and other disabilities
in State care
• Find out what we don’t know about the abuse of people with learning disabilities
and other disabilities in State care
• Make suggestions about what research needs to happen to make sure people are not
abused in the future.
The Donald Beasley Institute researchers used an integrative review methodology
(Whittemore & Knafl, 2005) to do their research.
This method meant that they could use research, literature, films and audiorecordings.
From these they could find examples of the ways that people with learning disability had been abused in State care. This report covers the period 1950 to 1992. (From the executive summary). Record #5532