News
Disability Rights
25 years of the Disability Discrimination Act
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...
Disability Rights
Equal before the law? How the criminal justice system is failing people with disability
I acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we meet and pay my respect to their elders past and present. I am delighted to be here today to deliver the 2016 Annual Costello Lecture. Last year, the President of the ºÚÁÏÇ鱨վ, Professor Gillian Triggs, delivered...
Disability Rights
International Guide Dog Day 2015: Sydney launch of the ‘It’s time to end Guide Dog discrimination’ campaign
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
National Press Club address
(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...
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.
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.
Disability Rights
Speech -Keynote Address for Suncorp and PWC’s Traumatic Injury & Disability Insurance Summit (2012)
I'm a proud Australian. We live in a great democracy, with one of the strongest economies in the world. I'm not proud, though, of how we treat Australians with disability- some of our most disadvantaged citizens. And we are all ashamed that, in such a strong nation, that treatment continues. This shame can no longer continue. So let's fix the system. Let's have an NDIS so that not some, but every Australian counts. Thanks for the chance to speak with you today.
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.
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?
Disability Rights
"Other status": disability and human rights (2011)
Amnesty International conference: Human rights challenges and opportunities in the 21st century Brisbane 6 October 2011 Graeme Innes, Disability Discrimination Commissioner
Disability Rights
Celebration of the commencement of the Premises Standards (2011)
On behalf of the ºÚÁÏÇ鱨վ I would like to welcome you to this event to mark the commencement of the Disability (Access to Premises - buildings) Standards (Premises Standards).
Disability Rights
Launch of Accessible events -- a guide for organisers (2006)
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
International Day of People with Disabilities Keynote Speech
Thanks for the chance to speak with you today. As you might guess, in my role as Disability Discrimination Commissioner, I receive many invitations to speak at functions on the international day. One of the reasons I chose this invitation is because of the really important role that Local Government plays in the lives of all Australians. It deals with the issues that are in your face- and I know, because until two years ago I was a Councillor on Ku-Ring-Gai Council.
Disability Rights
Disability discrimination legislation and its implementation (1997)
When I was invited to prepare this paper, Andrew Byrnes encouraged me to concentrate on drawing out strategic thoughts from the Australian experience which might be relevant in Hong Kong , and perhaps in other countries also. That is what I hope to do, rather than spending much time simply reciting that experience or the terms of Australia 's legislation.