Disability discrimination
The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 prohibits discrimination on the ground of a person’s disability in many areas of public life. These include employment, education, access to premises and access to goods, services and facilities.
The Department does not handle complaints of disability discrimination. The Australian Human Rights Commission investigates and conciliates discrimination complaints. The Commission’s contact details are:
Level 8, Piccadilly Tower
133 Castlereagh Street
SYDNEY NSW 2000
Telephone: (02) 9284 9600
Complaints Infoline: 1300 656 419
www.humanrights.gov.au
The Commission can also provide more information about the Disability Discrimination Act.
Disability Standards
The Disability Discrimination Act allows the Attorney-General to make standards on particular topics. The standards give more information about what needs to be done to ensure people with disability are not discriminated against.
So far, two standards have been made. Each of these is explained on a separate page.
Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002
Disability Standards for Education 2005
There is also a draft standard for access to premises, the draft Disability (Access to Premises—Buildings) Standards 2009.
International obligations
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol were adopted at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 13 December 2006, and entered into force internationally on 3 May 2008. Australia ratified the Convention on 17 July 2008.
The Australian Government is now well advanced in the process to enable it to make an informed decision on whether or not to become party to the Optional Protocol to the Convention.
- Further information on Australia’s ratification of the Convention
- Information on the Optional Protocol
- Further information on the Convention on the UN website