Mr A G Hopkins

To Commissioner and
Ms Delwyn Rance
Ref, Thur 24 July 03
9.30am

Dear Ms Rance

To my phone conversation of today, I hope this letter will fit your guidelines to your requirements. My sons [have] spinabifida, asthma, smashed ankle. I don’t know how long I would be talking for but basically I will be just saying about my run ins with people through my sons, and now, also myself with Workcover. Industrial accident, and peoples’ attitude towards my sons and myself over the past 23 years, but even longer. 1960’s-1970’s.

I must admit that it concerns me about going to a Commission as I try to keep my nose clean, and that has been instilled into my boys, but not to be frightened to stand up for your rights, or you’ll lose them. I started integration of physically handicapped children into public schools, even wrote the draft law, and my solicitor, Mr John Cain, cleaned it up for presentation to Parliament. He was MP Bundoora where I lived and Preston. [He was a ] solicitor in 1970’s, office in Preston.

I thank you for your time and help.

Yours truly,
Albert

						PTO

Items and areas of my talk

1.	My background in school, trade, training, immigration.
2.	Background [of my] family in disabilities of my sons, of family of 4 boys.
3.	Hospitals’ attitudes and help.
4.	School attitudes against boys an help, i.e. primary, secondary, high, trade, tech.
5.	Attitudes of teachers and management, then workers.
6.	Government agencies are supposed to help, but don’t want to. Almost killed one son. Asthmatic.
7.	Medibank, Medicare and Government’s attitude to disabled. i.e. MPs Federal and State.
8.	Transport and Police.
9.	Workcover inspectors’ attitudes on the work floor.
10.	Miscellaneous thought and suggestions to improve attitudes of above. 
11.	Areas of my and family’s concerns.
Signing off

Thanking you,

Mr AG Hopkins