Disability Rights
The following speech was an introductory address delivered by Disability Discrimination Commissioner Ben Gauntlett at a policy forum convened by the Centre for Research Excellence in Disability and Health, held in Canberra on July 18, 2019. Good morning and welcome to today’s policy forum, which has...
Disability Rights
The following speech was an opening presentation delivered by Disability Discrimination Commissioner Ben Gauntlett at a workshop on community attitudes towards people with disability convened by the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Disability, held in Melbourne on June 28...
Commission – General
The Australian Human Rights Commission welcomes the commencement of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of people with disability. The Commission also welcomes the appointment of Disability Discrimination Commissioner Alastair McEwin to the Royal Commission. The...
Disability Rights
Media Statement from Alastair McEwin, Australian Disability Discrimination Commissioner I welcome today’s release of the draft terms of reference for the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability and the government’s commitment to establish a Royal...
Rights and Freedoms
The five finalists for the 2018 Human Rights Awards’ Law Award have been selected, with two from Western Australia competing for the prize. “We have received the highest number of entries for the Law Award since the Human Rights Awards the awards began in 1987,” said Commission President, Professor...
Disability Rights
It was 25 years ago this month that the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) (the ‘DDA’) commenced operation. On 1 March 1993, Australians with a dis¬ability had a national law that was designed to provide them with equality in many areas of life. Over the past quarter of a cen¬tury, the DDA...
Race Discrimination
In October 1975, at a ceremony for the proclamation of the Racial Discrimination Act, then Prime Minister Gough Whitlam described the legislation as ‘a historic measure’, which aimed to ‘entrench new attitudes of tolerance and understanding in the hearts and minds of the people’.(1) The Act was...
Disability Rights
Thank you Graeme for that introduction, and good morning everyone. I am very pleased to be here. Guide dogs play a vital role in the lives of people who are blind or vision impaired, which is why it is so important to end discrimination against guide dog users. Last year at the Australian Human...
Disability Rights
(check against delivery) I acknowledge the traditional owners of this land. I do so not as a formulaic beginning, but as a sincere recognition of the place which the land holds in the lives and culture of our first Australians. I saw much of the disadvantage Aboriginal people experience during my...
Rights and Freedoms
Responsibility, anti-discrimination laws, human rights and freedoms - these words have been at the center of an ideological debate about how to protect fundamental freedoms, including freedom of speech, freedom of association and freedom from detention without trial. But if we are serious about...
Rights and Freedoms
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.
Disability Rights
Amnesty International conference: Human rights challenges and opportunities in the 21st century Brisbane 6 October 2011 Graeme Innes, Disability Discrimination Commissioner
Disability Rights
Launch of Accessible events -- a guide for organisers Gold Coast Convention Centre 27 April 2006 Graeme Innes Human Rights Commissioner and Disability Discrimination Commissioner Acknowledgements Annabel Davis, President of MEA Suzie Jones, Chair of the Conference organising Committee Linda Gaunt...
Disability Rights
I always like to begin my presentations with a humorous anecdote or joke of some kind. For one thing, it lets me know that someone is actually listening, and it also lulls the audience into a false sense of security for the dry parts to follow. So as part of my preparation for this morning's discussion of disability discrimination law in Australia, I decided to find an answer to the important question, "how many audiologists does it take to change a lightbulb". Fortunately there is a website devoted to lightbulb jokes, and so I duly consulted it.
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