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Disability Standards

A working group auspiced by the Federal Attorney-General's Department has recently been established to investigate and develop disability standards under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) in relation to access to Commonwealth Information and Communications.

Under section 31 of the DDA, the Attorney-General can make 'disability standards' subject to approval by Parliament. The main purpose of DDA standards is to make rights and obligations under the DDA clearer and easier to understand, comply with and enforce. DDA standards could do this is in a number of ways including:

DDA standards would be enforceable in the same way as the current provisions of the DDA. While non-compliance with a standard would be unlawful, compliance with a standard would be a defence to complaints under the DDA.

In August 1993, the former Attorney-General established the DDA Standards Working Group to advise on the need for and development of the standards generally. The Working Group identified employment, access to premises, transport, education and Commonwealth information services as priority areas for the development of standards. However, as the DDA Standards Working Group lacked the necessary technical expertise, it was decided that it should seek assistance from expert subcommittees (of which the Commonwealth Information and Communications working group is one) which would be better placed to prepare draft standards for the group's consideration.

The working group will be examining, among other things, the range of Commonwealth information available, the means of dissemination, the means of communication with the Commonwealth, potential barriers to access and the impact of emerging technologies. The group will also consider the provision of legislation and government gazettes in alternative formats.

Membership of the working group is drawn from a number of Commonwealth government departments and agencies, along with disability representatives and the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.

An information paper on disability standards regulating access to Commonwealth information and communications has been widely distributed for public comment. Any organisation wanting a copy of the paper should contact the Attorney-General's Department. No formal consultations will take place on the issues paper, but comments are invited on the matters covered by it. Those comments will be considered by the working group to inform the process of preparing draft standards.

The working group hopes to be in a position to have a draft prepared for public consultation by the end of 1996. The consultation period will be in the order of three months. Final standards will then be prepared, incorporating responses received during consultations on the draft. We hope that final disability standards concerning access to Commonwealth information and communications may be ready for submission to the Attorney-General for approval in mid-late 1997.

For further information or for a copy of the information paper, please contact Kym Duggan, Acting Special Adviser-Disability, Human Rights Branch, Attorney-General's Department, Robert Garran Offices, PARKES ACT 2600. Tel (06) 250 6363 Fax (06) 250 5911 E-mail: Kym.Duggan@ag.ausgovag.telememo.au.


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Last updated 2 September 1996

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