Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was disrespectful to a disabled woman, although he might not be aware of his action, according to a disability campaigner. The Australian politician is under fire for patting and scratching a woman in a wheelchair’s hair, which is deemed as a condescending action towards the disabled.

The clip above, which is part of ABC’s 7.30 Report on the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) on Tuesday, shows the PM posing with a woman in a wheelchair for photos then ruffling her hair as he leaves.

It might have been an absent-minded gesture, but it was disrespectful, Stella Young, a comedian and disability campaigner, said.

She told perthnow.com.au that people don’t often treat disabled and short people with dignity and respect as they do others. Mr Rudd’s action was perhaps similar to someone who became fond of a cute kid or a novel toy.

“When you face those attitudes on the bus or on the train or at the supermarket, it’s pretty awful,” Ms Young told the Web site. “But when you’re faced with these attitudes by the prime minister of the nation, it’s absolutely gobsmacking.”

Although she didn’t think the prime minister deliberately wanted to patronise the woman, he should have been briefed on how to interact with disabled people.

She also believes that Mr Rudd doesn’t think of the disabled as his equals.

“If you could show me video evidence of Kevin Ruff patting the head of an adult non-disabled woman, I’ll eat my words,” she continued. “(But) can you imagine him patting one of his female parliamentary colleagues on the head? Absolutely not. A woman in his local community? I don’t think so.

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