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Children's Rights

Walking the talk: Towards authentic child voice

It’s fantastic to be amongst so many people committed to the wellbeing of Australia’s children. I’m thrilled to have been invited today by Prue Warrilow, Brian Babington and Families Australia and feel honoured to deliver the Berry Street Childhood Institute Families Australia Oration as my first speaking engagement as inaugural National Children’s Commissioner.

Category, Speech
Rights and Freedoms

Freedom of speech is not in danger in Australia (2013)

Freedom of speech is alive and well in Australia but, with respect to Voltaire, we will not defend to the death those who abuse this right by vilifying others in public on the ground of race.

Category, Opinion
Disability Rights

Australia Post Action Plan Launch (2012)

Australia Post Action Plan Launch Graeme Innes AM Disability Discrimination Commissioner Australian Human Rights Commission Monday 3 December 2012 I acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we meet today. I also wish you all a happy International Day of People with Disability. Sarah -...

Category, Speech
Disability Rights

Speech - My body, my health, my decision (2012)

Both men acquired their disabilities 20 years ago. Neither of them work, nor do they have daily activities, or relationships with people outside their family.

Category, Speech
Disability Rights

Speech - Keynote Address - Blind Citizens Australia (2012)

Keynote Address Blind Citizens Australia, NSW/ACT State Convention on 'Leadership Through Participation' Graeme Innes AM Disability Discrimination Commissioner Australian Human Rights Commission Saturday 20 October, 2012 This speech is available as an audio file (MP3). Click here to listen to the...

Category, Speech
Disability Rights

Speech - iPhone or Trombone: Age or Disability Don't Have to be Barriers (2012)

Alan used to work as a civil engineer, and is a trombone player with two orchestras and two bands. He has competed in the Australian Band Championships for the last three years. He sold his soils laboratory to 'retire', and has never looked back. He still works part-time in soil testing, but as well as trombone playing he is a volunteer in a Rotary shop, walks 30-40 kilometers weekly, won a silver medal in the 10 km Road Race in the Australian Masters Games 2012, and completed a novel for pre-teens called 'Alex', designed to raise awareness about healthy lifestyles.

Category, Speech
Disability Rights

Speech - Launch of the Civil Society Shadow Report (2012)

Australia became a party to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2008. The rest of the world refers to it by the unappealing acronym of CRPD, or the Disability Convention, but I like to refer to it as the Disco. It's catchy, and it creates a great image for me of people with disability dancing, and being to go anywhere they want - although I haven't been inside a disco for many a long year.

Category, Speech
Disability Rights

Speech - Launch of Macquarie University’s Disability Action Plan (2012)

Ten years ago I gave the occasional address at a graduation at Sydney University. I accepted the invitation to speak in the Great Hall and then informed the University that - as the platform on which students received their degrees was not accessible for people with mobility disability - I would speak from the floor of the hall. I did that, and told the story of Bradley Kinsella. He had studied at QUT for three years about a further decade ago, and used his wheelchair all of that time. Despite their knowledge of his disability, QUT scheduled his degree in an inaccessible venue.

Category, Speech
Disability Rights

Launch of Australian Federal Police Disability Action Plan (2012)

Launch of Australian Federal Police Disability Action Plan Thursday 2 August, 2012 Graeme Innes AM Disability Discrimination Commissioner Australian Human Rights Commission I acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we meet today. Most of you would confidently tell me that Australians...

Category, Speech
Disability Rights

Launch of Australian Federal Police Disability Action Plan (2012)

Most of you would confidently tell me that Australians are not held in prison for five or ten years when they have not been found guilty of any crime. We don't do that here you would say. And, as upholders of Australia's Federal law most people would accept your view. Sadly, you would be wrong.

Category, Speech
Disability Rights

The DDA 20 Years On: Successes, Lessons and Future Directions (2012)

The DDA 20 Years On: Successes, Lessons and Future Directions 3rd Annual National Disability Summit Paving a future direction for disability policy reform in Australia Melbourne 27 June 2012 Graeme Innes Disability Discrimination Commissioner I acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which...

Category, Speech
Disability Rights

The DDA 20 Years On: Successes, Lessons and Future Directions (2012)

At this Summit in 2010, I talked about the crucial roles of a National Disability Insurance Scheme. They were in moving to a society that respects, protects, promotes and fulfils human rights for people with disability. I used the title Money Changes Everything - But What's Insurance Got to Do with It?

Category, Speech

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