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Explore a speech that highlights an international human rights convention that sets out the fundamental human rights of people with disability.

Transcript of remarks made by Graeme Innes AM Deputy Disability Discrimination Commissioner, at the launch of the revised Commonwealth Disability Strategy, Parliament House, Canberra, 5 October 2000

Allow me to begin by acknowledging the people of the Wurundjeri nation, the traditional owners of the land on which we meet, and pay my respects to their elders both past and present.

I wrote the title for this presentation almost a year ago when I was first asked to give it. I came back to it two weeks ago to write the actual paper and thought "what does this mean?"

I'm honoured to give this address. I completed my law degree at this university, and well remember the December day in 1977 when I received it. It was the culmination of four years of hard work, experiencing the pleasures and trials of campus life, and acquiring - as well as a reasonable amount of legal knowledge - a much broader appreciation of the world around me, warts and all.

I want to tell you two stories about Greg. They cover different phases of his life, but illustrate the problems that face us as people with print disabilities.

To set the scene for my presentation this afternoon, I want to share two autobiographical fragments with you, both of them having to do with my experience at university.

Welcome all of you to HREOC and to this workshop run by the Australian Electoral Commission. May I particularly thank Deputy Electoral Commissioner Andy Becker and his staff for making this process available today.

I make this acknowledgment in all my public presentations around Australia, not only because I believe that it is good manners to do so, but also because recognising the indigenous history of this land is an important element in recognising the truth of our diversity as a people.

I make this acknowledgment in all my public presentations, because recognising the indigenous history of this land is an important element in recognising the truth of our diversity as a people.

A speech by Dr Sev Ozdowski OAM.

Allow me to begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we meet, the Bidjigal clan of the Eora people. I also acknowledge Bryan Woodford, ACROD President; Ken Baker, ACROD Chief Executive, my fellow speakers and participants.

I congratulate EOPHEA for organising this discussion. Although, of course, your focus is primarily on employment in the university environment, the conference program is clearly designed to address equal opportunity issues of much more general significance. I have approached my own paper in the same spirit: I hope it will be particularly relevant in your own context as equity practitioners in…

The standard sort of speech that is often delivered by people in my sort of position at this sort of event is a combination of pep talk and pamphlet, with some bits of a law lecture thrown in: telling people with a disability and their advocates that they have rights under discrimination law, and telling employers that they have responsibilities, and attempting to set out the terms and the effect…