Complaints under the Disability Discrimination Act
You can make a complaint under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) if you have been treated unfairly because of your disability, whatever the disability is.
You can also make a complaint if
someone thinks you have a disability, or if you had a disability in the past,
and they discriminate against you because of it. Relatives, friends, carers and
co-workers are also protected against discrimination because of their connection
to a person with disability.
Disability
discrimination is covered in many areas of public life, including:
- employment - seeking employment, training, promotion, equal pay, employment conditions or dismissal
- education - at school, TAFE, university or a private training provider
- access to premises - attempting to enter or use shops, libraries, government offices, entertainment venues and so on
- provision of goods, services or facilities - such as using public transport, buying something, applying for a loan or seeking assistance from a service provider
- land, accommodation and housing - renting or buying a house or flat
- sport - as a player, coach or administrator
- membership of clubs and associations.
The DDA also
protects you if you have been harassed – such as being bullied or put down
– because of your disability.
Here
are some examples of the complaints we receive under the DDA.
Mary had work-related RSI a few years ago and lodged a workers compensation claim. She recently applied for a job but was told her past disability made her ‘too risky’ to employ.
Simon uses a wheelchair and can not get into his local video store because of a step at the front door.
Lydia has been told her daughter can’t attend the local after school care service because she has an allergy to nuts and they can’t take the risk that she will be exposed to nuts while she is there.
Hans has a mental illness and needs to start
work late to avoid travelling on crowded public transport to get to work. He has
asked to change his hours to work 10-6 but his manager has refused because it
would open a ‘floodgate’ of requests.
More information about making a
complaint under the DDA is available in our plain
language Guide to the
Disability Discrimination Act.
Find
out more:
- Information for people making a complaint
- Information for people responding to a complaint
- Conciliation – how it works describes how we resolve complaints
- Case studies of conciliated complaints under the DDA
- Frequently asked questions about the DDA and how it applies to different parts of public life
- The Commission’s current work to address discrimination and promote disability rights.
Contact us
For more information, contact the Complaints Infoline on 1300 656 419 (local call) or 02 9284 9888. You can also send us an email at complaintsinfo@humanrights.gov.au.
