Guides: Disability Services: Law and Ethics

eBooks

Human Rights in Australia (2018) What are Australia's international and domestic human rights obligations and how are they being addressed in relation to a number of issues such as asylum seeker detention, racial discrimination, free speech, indigenous advancement, juvenile incarceration, disability rights, gender equality and same-sex marriage?
People with disability (2017) One in five Australians have a disability, however many encounter a range of barriers, stereotypes and negative attitudes. They are more likely to experience poverty, live in poor quality or insecure housing, suffer from mental illness and have low levels of education. They are often socially isolated, with fewer opportunities to take part in community life.

Books

Disability support worker (2020) The third edition of The Disability Support Worker will differentiate from the competition as a comprehensive standalone Certificate IV resource. It will cover all 11 core units and 5 of the most highly subscribed electives. The level of the content will be repositioned through reflective pedagogy to require students to think about their own practice and consider themselves as professionals in the field, preparing them for their more senior and supervisory roles in the workplace.
Elder law: A Guide to Working with Older Australians (2018) Elder Law is a book for the legal practitioners, financial advisors, allied health professionals and medical practitioners working with older Australians. It is also a comprehensive and practical book for academics teaching the elder law advisors of the future.
Human rights in Australia (2018) Examines Australia's international and domestic human rights obligations and how they are being addressed in relation to controversial and challenging issues including asylum seeker detention, racial discrimination, free speech, indigenous advancement, juvenile incarceration, disability rights, gender equality and same-sex marriage. Also includes: worksheets and activities, fast facts, glossary, web links, index.
Issues and Ethics in the Helping Professions (2018) This contemporary and practical text helps you discover and determine your own guidelines for helping within the broad limits of professional codes of ethics and divergent theoretical positions. The authors discuss central issues, present a range of diverse views on the issues, discuss their position, and present opportunities for you to refine your own thinking and actively develop your own informed position.

Online Videos

Understanding the financial impacts of mental illness – WA Department of Justice [2024] Explains mental illness and how the public trustee can help with finances that are beyond the illness scope that cause financial hardships. Other videos in the series Financial Elder Abuse COMPASS - Guiding Action on Elder Abuse Financial Elder Abuse Prevention (Video) Financial Elder Abuse - Don't ignore the red flags (Video)

Law & Legislation

Australian Centre for Disability Law Our services include providing free legal advice, taking on selected casework, assisting with referrals, delivering Community Legal Education, and undertaking law reform and projects.
Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Act, 2013 - Explanation The NDIS is a government-funded scheme to support Australians with disability to live ‘ordinary lives’. The Disability Support Payment already exists to provide an income (through Centrelink) to Australians who cannot work due to disability, and the NDIS is intended to help disabled Australians afford disability-related expenses they may have on top of that.
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) The Convention is intended as a human rights instrument with an explicit, social development dimension. It adopts a broad categorization of persons with disabilities and reaffirms that all persons with all types of disabilities must enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms. It clarifies and qualifies how all categories of rights apply to persons with disabilities and identifies areas where adaptations have to be made for persons with disabilities to effectively exercise their rights and areas where their rights have been violated, and where protection of rights must be reinforced.
Disability Discrimination Act - Explanation Disability discrimination happens when people with disability are treated less fairly than people without disability. Disability discrimination also occurs when people are treated less fairly because they are relatives, friends, carers, co-workers or associates of a person with disability.
Disability Services Act (WA) 1993
Learning Together : Tools to help you get the support you need at school (2023) Download the toolkit to help understand school and educational requirements. Contains multiple language editions.
UN Convention On The Rights Of Persons With Disabilities (CRPD), 2006 - Explanation The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) sets out to clarify and qualify how all human rights apply to people with disability. Despite being already protected under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the rights of people with disability are often violated.

Websites

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN Charter) 10th Anniversary of the adoption of CRPD: 2006 to 2016 Infographic on the CRPD and the COSP (prepared October 2016: (Word, PDF) Status of Ratifications to the CRPD (prepared May 2016) (JPG, PDF) (also available at the UN Enable Facebook page) Support UNiversal ratification of the CRPD Full text of the Convention The Convention in Brief Guiding Principles of the Convention Entry into Force Monitoring of Implementation Powerpoint presentation Conference of States parties Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Ratifications and Signatures of the CRPD and Optional Protocol Civil Society Frequently Asked Questions on the Convention Negotiation Archives Status of Ratification Interactive Dashboard (OHCHR Human Rights Indicators Work)
Anit-Discrimination (NSW) We are the New South Wales state government body that administers the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977. We strive to eliminate discrimination in New South Wales by: answering enquiries, conciliating complaints, raising awareness about discrimination and its impacts, managing applications for exemptions from the Act and advising government about discrimination issues.
Attorney General's Office - Rights of People with Disabilities The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) recognises the barriers that people with a disability may face in realising their rights. The rights under all human rights treaties apply to everyone, including people with disability. However, the CRPD applies human rights specifically to the context of people with disability.
Australia's disability discrimination problem in three charts (2017) Only 53 per cent of Australians with disability are employed, compared to 83 per cent of all working-age people. Australia ranks 21st out of 29 OECD nations when it comes to employment rates for people with a disability. But looking at the data reveals an even darker story — complaints about disability discrimination are the largest category of discrimination reported to the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), and the numbers have been steady for around 20 years.
A Brief Guide to the Disability Discrimination Act The links from this page provide a brief outline of the DDA, generally and as it applies to a number of areas of life.
Disability Advocacy Network Australia DANA supports and strengthens independent disability advocacy organisations in their work of advocating for and with people with disability so that they are valued and included members of the community, their fundamental needs are met, and their human rights respected. DANA is a network of organisations throughout Australia that undertakes or provides individual advocacy, systemic advocacy, self-advocacy, citizen advocacy, legal advocacy or family advocacy.
Equal Opportunity Commission (WA) Working to make Western Australia free from discrimination and prejudice
Guidelines on the rights of people with disability in health and disability care during COVID-19 (2020) Treatment protocols for medical practitioners, health and disability support workers may, in certain circumstances, also have the potential to discriminate against people with disability. This occurs when unwarranted assumptions are made about people with disability or when their needs and preferences are not adequately taken into account. This discrimination may be unintentional and undertaken unknowingly.
A Guide to Enduring Power of Attorney (WA) (2013) If you choose to make an enduring power of attorney, this guide will help you to understand the power and the authority you will be giving to your attorney. It also contains information to assist you in completing the form. The section on the role of the attorney will be useful to the person you appoint, to ensure that they understand their roles and responsibilities
National Disability Advocacy Program The National Disability Advocacy Program (NDAP) provides people with disability with access to effective disability advocacy that promotes, protects and ensures their full and equal enjoyment of all human rights enabling community participation.
NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) Getting started How the NDIS works Am I eligible? How do I apply? Planning process Creating your plan Using your plan Changing your plan
People with Disability Australia - Disability And Human Rights Disability human rights covers these main areas: Human Rights – as fundamental intrinsic rights of every human being. History of Disability Rights Movement in Australia – setting the big picture of this movement in Australia. Key Pieces of Legislation – three key pieces of legislation are used in Australia to cover the human rights of people with disability.