The Disability Information and Resource Centre

Unicef have released a publication entitled “It’s About Ability – An explanation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities”.

Aimed at children, the book explains the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It’s main purpose is to empower children, with and without disabilities, to play their part in challenging discrimination and promoting the Convention’s principles.

Further information, including a pdf and audio version of the book, can be found on the unicef web site.

On 14 July 2009, the SA Parliament passed the Equal Opportunity (Miscellaneous) Amendment Bill, strengthening SA laws and giving South Australians better options to solve discrimination problems locally.

There is more protection for:

• people who care for a dependent child or a family member
• people with a mental illness, or an infection without symptoms
• domestic partners
• people discriminated against because of their spouse or partner
• contractors
• people who have been sexually harassed.

Workers have better protection, if they:

• are sexually harassed and the employer has not taken reasonable steps to prevent the harassment
• are harassed by customers or clients – such as waiters harassed by patrons, and care workers harassed by residents
• wear dress or adornments symbolic of their religion.

Schools and universities must have sexual harassment policies.  And, students and staff are able to lodge a complaint about sexual harassment by any student aged 16 or over.

The time limit for lodging a complaint is doubled, from six months to twelve months.

Also, some outdated laws have been repealed:

• clubs and associations may not turn away homosexual members
• small partnerships may not refuse to admit new members to partnership on the ground of their sexuality
• church-run hospitals, aged-care homes and welfare agencies may not discriminate on sexuality.

A commencement date for the new law is yet to be fixed.  For more information, go to:  www.eoc.sa.gov.au

Do you want to know more about the proposed changes to the Equal Opportunity Act 1984 (SA)?

A new downloadable document on the Equal Opportunity Commission website – Proposed Equal Opportunity Changes 2009 – outlines:

• the reasons for change
• new and expanded grounds of discrimination
• how the law will change for carers, people with disability, religious institutions, and contractors
• how the law will change in relation to sexuality and sexual harassment
• the Commissioner’s role.

Link to the site here.

Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600 • Telephone (02) 6277 7300 • Fax (02) 6273 4102

www.attorneygeneral.gov.au

4 June 040/2008

The Rudd Government has today tabled in Parliament a National Interest Analysis, which proposes that Australia ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

“The Convention recognises that people with disabilities are entitled to enjoy all human rights on an equal basis with others,” Attorney-General Robert McClelland said. “It also assists countries all over the world to promote awareness of those rights and take practical steps to enable people with disability to participate fully in society.”

The National Interest Analysis examines the impact ratification would have on Australia and Australians living with disability. It is the result of consultations with the disability sector, industry, the States and Territories, relevant Commonwealth Government agencies and the broader community. It confirms that Australia complies with the Convention and already substantially mplements those obligations. “Ratifying the Convention sends an unequivocal message that people with disabilities should be treated equally and not as second class citizens,” Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children’s Services Bill Shorten said.

“The Rudd Government is working hard to continually improve the lives of people with disability, including through the development of a National Disability Strategy.”

The proposal to ratify the Convention will now be considered by Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Treaties.

Cath Sullivan, Mr Shorten’s Office, 0448 025 042.

Media Contact: Adam Sims, Mr McClelland’s Office, 0419 480 224.