Disability advocate demands end to bullying by able-bodied people in public places

Saturday, 25 July 2026

Disability advocates are calling for an end to the “unacceptable cruelty” of verbal abuse and harassment they say disabled people regularly endure in public spaces.

Russell Falcome-Price, a Christchurch resident with an intellectual disability, will address Christchurch City Council next month to raise awareness of the issue.

He wants to see community safety initiatives, better training for public transport drivers, and public campaigns addressing disability harassment.

“Right now, in our parks, on our buses, and inside our public bars, able-bodied people are verbally abusing people with special needs,” he said. “This cruelty is unacceptable.”

Russell Falcome-Price is calling for public awareness to stop bullying against people with disabilities like himself.

Falcome-Price, who advocates for other people with disabilities, said he had personally experienced verbal abuse and name-calling in public, including being targeted for wearing glasses.

“People should not be bullied because of the way they look. I want able-bodied people behind the abuse to know they can’t condemn their fellow human beings,” he said.

He said many disabled people were unable to speak up or defend themselves when targeted, leaving them isolated and frightened in their own communities.

Falcome-Price says verbal abuse happens all the time on buses, in bars and public spaces.

Falcome-Price, who worked as a security guard for 25 years before retiring, was also urging the council to remind local bars that holding a liquor licence carries a responsibility to keep venues safe and welcoming for everyone, including people with disabilities.

“I was in my local bar and heard someone say ‘what a r….’. I turned around and said, ‘Excuse me, don’t talk like that’. I try not to let it affect me but it’s an ongoing issue,” he said.

“An inclusive city is not just about building wheelchair ramps, it is about social safety.

IHC self-advocacy adviser David Corner is supporting a call for change in attitudes towards people with disabilities.

“It's about creating an environment where disabled people can live and socialise without the fear of verbal violence.”

David Corner, a self advocacy adviser and disability rights organisation IHC, who also has an intellectual disability, said he too had personally experienced bullying and discrimination, and that it remains widespread.

“Bullying and discrimination should not be accepted as part of life for disabled people,” he said.

“We have laws that are meant to protect people from that sort of behaviour, so bullying, harassment, and discrimination should be reported and stopped.”

Corner is calling for a nationwide awareness campaign to educate the public about disability and the contributions disabled people make to society.

He said bullying and name-calling often came from a lack of awareness.

“I think there should be a nationwide awareness campaign to teach people about disability and that people with disabilities have strengths and contributions to make.”

Anyone who experiences disability-related discrimination or bullying can report it to the Human Rights Commission or the Disability Rights Commissioner.

Free, independent advocacy support is also available through the Nationwide Health and Disability Advocacy Service on 0800 555 050.