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21 May 2020Conciliation register
2018-11-13
The complainant has anxiety and has an assistance animal. She alleged she was refused entry to the respondent museum because she was accompanied by her assistance dog, despite her dog wearing a jacket identifying it as an assistance animal. She further alleged a staff member had yelled at her for bringing a dog into the museum and ‘chased’ her out of the museum. The complainant alleged the… -
21 May 2020Conciliation register
2018-11-02
The complainant experiences impaired mobility due to knee injuries and sometimes uses a wheelchair. She alleged pools operated by the respondent council and toilet facilities at a recreational venue operated by the same council were not accessible. She also alleged the council’s practice of charging carers an entry fee to the pools was discriminatory. The council advised a hoist was… -
Disability Rights
19 July 2019SpeechRemember disability policy and research deals with the everyday lives
The following speech was an introductory address delivered by Disability Discrimination Commissioner Ben Gauntlett at a policy forum convened by the Centre for Research Excellence in Disability and Health, held in Canberra on July 18, 2019. Good morning and welcome to today’s policy forum, which has been organised by the Centre for Research Excellence in Disability and Health (CRE-DH). First… -
13 December 2019Conciliation register
2018-10-10
The complainants’ son is blind and was enrolled in Year 12. The complainants claimed that the respondent state government education standards and assessment authority declined to allow their son the use of a person to assist him tactually interpret diagrams for his final maths exam. They claimed that their son had been provided this adjustment in previous exams. On being advised of the… -
13 December 2019Conciliation register
2018-10-08
The complainant is blind and resides in government public housing. She claimed she had made an arrangement with her case worker to ensure correspondence would be sent to her in an email or as an accessible attachment to an email. The complainant claimed the arrangement ceased when a new case worker took over management of her tenancy and she was therefore no longer able to read… -
13 December 2019Conciliation register
2018-1006
The complainant is a leg amputee and uses a wheelchair. He alleged there were no wheelchair accessible toilet facilities at the respondent hotel, where he was drinking with friends. On being notified of the complaint, the hotel indicated a willingness to participate in the Commission's conciliation process to attempt resolution of the matter. The complaint was resolved with an agreement that… -
13 December 2019Conciliation register
2018-10-03
The complainant alleged that the respondent public transport provider withdrew an offer of employment in a managerial role because of his criminal record. The complainant had previously been convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and contravening a protection order. The transport provider claimed that its decision to withdraw the offer of employment was based on its legislative … -
Commission – General
31 March 2020Webpage
About Past Awards
Learn about the history of the Commission's Human Rights Awards, which were launched in 1987 to recognise the work of human rights heroes across Australia. -
Rights and Freedoms
3 September 2021Webpage
Human rights considerations for vaccine passports and certificates
Learn how vaccine passports are more likely to be consistent with human rights principles when they are used as a tool to improve public health outcomes. -
Disability Rights
29 October 2019Speech
Inclusive education: Why silence and inaction is not the answer
DR BEN GAUNTLETT DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION COMMISSIONER AUSTRALIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION QUEEN VICTORIA WOMEN'S CENTRE, MELBOURNE 28 OCTOBER 2019 Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, I acknowledge my deep respect to the traditional owners of the land on which the Queen Victoria’s Women Centre is situated, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation. I pay respect to their Elders past … -
21 January 2020Conciliation register
2018-05-14
The complainant has non-insulin-dependent diabetes and had a triple bypass operation several years earlier with a symptom-free recovery. The complainant had been employed as a contract worker with the respondent mining company for 18 months. He said that six months after he commenced work he was offered a permanent role with the mining company, but his start-date was delayed to enable him to… -
21 January 2020Conciliation register
2018-05-12
The complainant attended an interview with the respondent recruitment agency for a role in aged care. She claimed she was assured of ongoing paid employment and purchased a uniform on the day. The complainant alleges that, after she disclosed her criminal record, the agency stopped contacting her and ultimately told her she was unsuitable for the role. The complainant had been charged with… -
21 January 2020Conciliation register
2018-05-06
The complainant’s son has an acquired brain injury, intellectual disability, autism, Opposition & Defiance Disorder and other impairments and attended the respondent public high school. The complainant alleged the school did not appropriately support her son, failed to develop or implement a behaviour support plan, refused her request for a teacher’s aide and suspended her son on several… -
21 January 2020Conciliation register
2018-05-04
The complainant sought to enrol her two youngest children at the respondent K-12 private school, which their older siblings already attended. She alleged the school refused her daughter’s enrolment because she has autism without taking steps to assess her support needs and refused to enrol her brother because of his association with her. On being advised of the complaint, the school agreed… -
21 January 2020Conciliation register
2018-05-01
The complainant’s 15-year-old son attended a public high school catering to students with disability with particular learning requirements. She alleged the school failed to provide adjustments to accommodate her son’s learning and behavioural needs. She also alleged the school failed to notify the authorities when her son went missing during a school camp, which she argued would have… -
Asylum Seekers and Refugees
2 July 2020Opinion pieceBlanket bans would be unacceptable
During lockdown, many of us – myself included – have become even more reliant on our mobile phones. They have kept us in contact with parents, children and grandchildren, our colleagues and friends during this difficult time. When my two-year old first saw his grandmother on a smartphone, he squealed with delight. It wasn’t quite the same as being together — he pawed at the screen to try to… -
1 October 2020Conciliation register
2019-02-15
The complainant was employed as a chef at the respondent restaurant. She alleged that her acting supervisor sexually harassed her by touching her on the back and shoulders, asking her on dates, telling her ‘you need to build some ass’ and telling her that she looked like a MILF when she wore dark lipstick. The complainant alleged that, after she told management about the conduct and her… -
1 October 2019Conciliation register
2018-09-01
The complainant’s five-year-old son has autism spectrum disorder, anaphylaxis, sensory processing difficulties and ADD. The complainant alleged the respondent public primary school failed to appropriately support her son’s transition into the school or to provide him with reasonable adjustments while at the school. The complainant removed her son from the school shortly after lodging the… -
1 October 2019Conciliation register
2018-09-02
The complainant injured his wrist in the course of his work as a surgeon at the respondent public hospital and lodged a workers compensation claim. He alleged the hospital treated him less favourably because of his disability, including by dealing inappropriately with his workers compensation claim, unfavourable comments by staff, terminating his employment and denial of opportunities for… -
27 September 2019Conciliation register
2018-08-13
The complainant alleged a contractor working on the same construction site as her sexually harassed her, including by asking her to have sex with him on multiple occasions and making sexualised comments about her body. She said she eventually resigned from her employment because she did not wish to work alongside the contractor. On being advised of the complaint, the contractor and his…