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Commission – General14 December 2012Publication
HREOC Annual Report 2003-2004 : Contents : Significant achievements : Statement from the President : Organisational Chart
</em>It is now just over one year since I took up my appointment as President of the Commission. During this time, the world's attention has been focussed on the international terrorist threat and how governments, including our own, can contain and counter that threat. In Australia, the Commission has been mindful of the fact that any counter-terrorism measures must be enacted and administered in accordance with existing domestic and international laws, including human rights laws. -
Disability Rights14 December 2012Speech
Advancing human rights of children and young people with disabilities
I was around as head of the then Disability Advisory Council of Australia back in the late 80s and early 90s when ACROD and the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission worked together on a discussion paper and consultation process to identify and pursue areas of increased need for human rights protection for people with disabilities. -
14 December 2012Book page
Human Rights 21: Getting the message out - Human Rights Education
One of the most important ways to protect human rights is to build community understanding and challenge attitudes which are based on myths and stereotypes. The key to this is education. -
10 February 2021Conciliation register
2019-07-09
The complainant has multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome and is employed in an administrative role with the respondent government department. She alleged the department did not direct her colleagues to avoid wearing scents, did not allow her to purchase products to remove lingering scents, did not let her block vents near her workspace and did not permit her to relocate to a different workplace ... -
10 February 2021Conciliation register
2020-01-04
The complainant was employed as a store manager with the respondent retailer and injured his collar bone in a non-work-related incident. He said he was deemed unfit for any duties for four weeks and then fit for duties with restrictions on what weight he was able to lift. The complainant alleged the retailer and its owner would not allow him to return to work until he was fit to resume all duties ... -
12 March 2020Conciliation register
2018-11-01
The complainant’s nine-year-old son, who has Autism and is non-verbal, and his eleven-year old sister attended the respondent public primary school. The complainant alleged that staff were not adequately trained to support her son and that they assaulted her son by smacking him and dragging him along the floor by the arm. She alleged this treatment was witnessed by her daughter. At the time the complaint was lodged, the complainant had withdrawn her children from the school and intended to home-school them. The school claimed staff were appropriately trained to support the complainant’s son and that a number of adjustments were implemented to accommodate his disability. The school advised that staff restrained the complainant’s son in response to behaviour that placed him and others at risk. The school claimed that staff restrained the complainant’s son using non-violent, crisis-intervention methods. The complaint was resolved with an agreement that the department responsible for operation of the school pay the complainant $20,000 as general damages. -
21 May 2020Conciliation register
2018-11-10
The complainant has anxiety and delivers driver training, which requires him to be registered with the respondent government department. He advised he was required to undertake training with the same department in order to maintain his registration, as registration requirements changed. He said he was unable to satisfactorily perform certain assessment tasks, such as public speaking due to his ... -
8 April 2022Conciliation register
2020-08-06
The complainant identifies as non-binary and sought to have their gender identifier with two government agencies changed to ‘X’ and honorific changed to ‘MX’. The complainant said that neither agency would change their gender to ‘X’ or their honorific to ‘MX’. The complainant said one agency agreed to change their gender marker to ‘M’, which they prefer to ‘F’ and offered to have no honorific. The ... -
Disability Rights14 December 2012Speech
Initiatives to achieve better access to the built environment
As you know, the Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act, and equivalent laws in all States, make it unlawful to discriminate on the ground of a person's disability. One of the areas covered by the Act is access to premises. The only exception to this is where a building is already constructed not providing access, and alteration to provide access would cause unjustifiable hardship. -
2 July 2021Conciliation register
2020-06-12
The complainant has anxiety and depression. She is enrolled in a bachelor’s degree with the respondent university and resides in student accommodation. The complainant said that the university had previously accommodated her need to take time off her studies to manage her disability. However, she claimed the university had recently started a ‘show cause’ process due to an unsuccessful year of ... -
14 January 2021Conciliation register
2019-05-18
The complainant identifies as a transgender woman and contacted the respondent insurer for the purposes of obtaining a quote for life insurance. She alleged a staff member of the insurer addressed her as ‘sir’ and told her that she would be assessed for life insurance as a male, despite identifying as female. The insurer explained a staff member initially addressed the complainant as ‘sir’ as an ... -
10 February 2021Conciliation register
2020-02-07
The complainant is from China and claimed that when she contacted the respondent law enforcement agency to report an incident of domestic violence, she was not provided with a Mandarin language interpreter, despite requesting one. She alleged her claim was not adequately investigated and she was not assisted to find safe accommodation because she was unable to effectively communicate with ... -
13 December 2019Conciliation register
2018-10-05
The complainant took time off work as a nurse at the respondent medical practice to undertake treatment for cancer. She alleged that, during her absence, the medical practice hired a nurse to perform her role, changed her working days and reduced her working hours without consulting her. The medical practice claimed that, as a casual employee, the complainant had no entitlement to ongoing ... -
21 January 2020Conciliation register
2018-05-14
The complainant has non-insulin-dependent diabetes and had a triple bypass operation several years earlier with a symptom-free recovery. The complainant had been employed as a contract worker with the respondent mining company for 18 months. He said that six months after he commenced work he was offered a permanent role with the mining company, but his start-date was delayed to enable him to ... -
Legal14 December 2012Webpage
1996 GUIDELINES FOR SPECIAL MEASURES UNDER THE SEX DISCRIMINATION ACT 1984
This publication, 1996 Guidelines for Special Measures under the Sex Discrimination Act 1984, is produced to increase awareness and understanding of the recently amended special measures provisions in the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (SDA). It aims to offer guidance on the effective implementation of special measures, or measures designed to achieve equality, in areas covered by the SDA. -
14 December 2012Book page
Eliminating prejudice against Arab and Muslim Australias
The meeting was chaired by Ms Ghada Hijazi, CSS Worker and Carol Arrowsmith, Community Development Officer, Rockdale City Council and facilitated by Omeima Sukkarieh, Community Liaison Officer, HREOC (notes). It was attended by 17 invited participants. -
27 September 2019Conciliation register
2018-06-03
The complainant alleged the respondent pharmacy terminated her employment a few days after she commenced working as a pharmacy assistant because of her criminal record. She said she disclosed her criminal record during the recruitment process and wrote to the pharmacy explaining the circumstances surrounding her criminal record once a criminal record check was completed. However, she claimed the ... -
27 September 2019Conciliation register
2018-07-12
The complainant worked as a manager at the respondent hotel. She claimed a director of the hotel sexually harassed her, including by hugging and trying to kiss her, putting his hand under her breast, asking where she bought her sex toys and telling her she was ‘beautiful’ and should ‘use her assets’ to improve business. She also claimed that when she contributed to a business discussion at a work ... -
Employers1 August 2016Webpage
Access for all: Improving accessibility for consumers with disability
Access for all PDF (2.20 MB) Access for all Word (84 KB) Introduction This resource provides practical tips for businesses on improving access to goods, services, facilities, premises and information for consumers with disability. Following these tips will not only reduce the likelihood of discrimination complaints against your business, but will also increase your access to the market, and ... -
Legal14 December 2012Webpage
Submission on the Age Discrimination Bill 2003
1.1 The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (Commission) welcomes the federal government's proposal in the Age Discrimination Bill 2003 ('the Bill') to make discrimination because of age unlawful.