Implementing the Productivity Commission review of the Disability Discrimination Act:

submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee Inquiry into the Disability Discrimination and Other Human Rights Legislation Amendment Bill 2009

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC), in its submission, commends the Federal Government on implementing the majority of recommendations from the Productivity Commission's 2004 review of the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) (DDA). PIAC supports all of the amendments to the DDA. In respect of the provision dealing with acts done by reason of disability and other acts, PIAC suggests an amendment to adopt the words proposed for the Age Discrimination Act 2004 (Cth).

In respect of the provisions dealing with assistance animals, PIAC proposes that consideration be given to delaying the commencement of the provision requiring the person with disability to provide evidence of the training of their animal to enable effective mechanisms to be developed an implemented to enable people with assistance animals to readily access appropriate documents as evidence in a form that they are able to carry with them at all times.

PIAC also proposes further clarification in relation to the meaning of 'reasonable adjustment'. There are two aspects of the amending Bill about which PIAC raises concerns. The first is the absence of amendments to remove the exemption in the area of immigration. The second is the amendments to penalty provisions to make the same penalty apply to individuals as to corporations, with PIAC arguing that corporations should be subject to more serious penalties for breaches.

PDF version can be made available on request to PIAC - piac@piac.asn.au

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