Laurie Helgason, a Winnipeg-based advocate for the disabled, says the attack on Heath Proden in Sydney, Australia, is disturbing but not surprising. (CBC)A Winnipeg advocate for the disabled said it's about time the government funded prepaid cellphones for all people who use wheelchairs because of the random acts of violence they face.

Laurie Helgason said she's disgusted by Tuesday's brutal attack on Heath Proden, a Manitoba man on an extended visit to Sydney, Australia.

But, she said, she's not surprised that it happened.

Proden, 35, was stomped, beaten and hit with a metal bar stripped from his own wheelchair by two teenaged boys as he tried to leave a train station to escape his attackers, police said.

He remains in hospital in serious condition, but is expected to make a full recovery. The attack has made headlines around the world.

Helgason, who met Proden years ago in a physical rehabilitation program in Winnipeg, said the disabled are no strangers to random violence at the hands of strangers.

"I was really horrified to see something like this has happened again. This is a hate crime," Helgason told CBC News. "[I'm] not surprised, however, because it's happened before and will happen again," she said.

Vulnerable victims

Heath Proden and girlfriend Kristin Sharrock pose in an undated photo. The teens who attacked him in a train station on Tuesday have been arrested. (Family photo)Helgason said a total stranger on the street has assaulted her in the past. People have also tried intimidating and robbing her.

"I've come close to being hurt badly … I was hit once. My husband has seen people get violent with me," she said. "It's easier to attack someone who can't really defend themselves well. They can't run away."

Helgason said the province should begin funding and handing out prepaid cellphones for the disabled so they can call for help in emergencies.

"You cannot run but you can get 911 on a speed dial," she said.

Helgason said she still mourns the violent loss of a disabled friend — the victim of an unsolved Winnipeg homicide.

Disabled man's killing still unsolved

Ronald Lacey, a disabled man in Winnipeg was found dead in the Red River in 2008. His wheelchair and van were found not far from where he was located by police. His killing remains unsolved. (CBC)Ronald Lacey was found floating in the Red River in August 2008.

Police said Lacey died of physical trauma. The 49-year-old used a wheelchair and frequently offered rides to people in his specially modified van that allowed him to drive.

He may have been giving a ride to someone who turned on him, beat him and robbed him, police have said. His wheelchair and van were found near a boat launch at the Louise Bridge.

The investigation into his death continues, but Helgason said she has no idea why anyone would kill Lacey.

"He was a gentle soul. He wouldn't have hurt anybody," she said.