Sir Martin was a disability rights activist. In 2016 he was the first person with a learning disability to be elected onto a United Nations Treaty Body, the Committee for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. He suffered a brain injury at birth and as a baby was sent to the Kimberley Centre. He had some brief periods of time with his family and in foster homes, otherwise he spent his entire childhood and early teenage years in institutions including, Lake Alice, Kimberley and Campbell Park School, as a ward of the State. Sir Martin gave evidence about all the forms of abuse and neglect he experienced while living in State care, how this has impacted his life, and his hopes for the future.

Sir Martin passed away on 30 April 2024.