Inquiries and consultations
Page last updated 1 February 2008
- Index of current inquiries and consultations
- Recently concluded inquiries
- Previous inquiries
- About public inquiry processes
- Revised practice note on complaint public inquiries
- Submissions to inquiries by other bodies
Index of current inquiries and consultations
This page is the main entry point for information about and participation in current public inquiry and consultation processes by the Commission in the disability rights area. It provides links to discussion papers and other information documents from the Commission, and public submissions from interested individuals and organisations, in public inquiry processes.
- Current exemption applications
- Draft standards on access to premises
- Discussion paper: accessibility of consumer electronics and appliances
Recently concluded inquiries and consultations
Please see the exemptions page for decisions on exemption applications
- Inquiry into Employment and Disability
- Mental health consultations
- Review of insurance guidelines
- Telecommunications discussion paper
- Productivity Commission inquiry on the DDA (PC index page)
- Assistance animals
- Wheelchair accessible taxis report 11 March 2002. See also notice of inquiry issued 2 May 2001; submissions received page ; draft report November 2001
- Captioned movies complaint inquiry: inquiry now closed with successful outcomes
- Inquiry into access to digital mobile phones for hearing impaired people now closed: see press release on outcomes
- Access to election procedures complaint inquiry
- Access to electronic commerce and new information and service technologies : report released 8 June 2000; resource page continues to be updated
- Captioning : general inquiry commenced in 1998 regarding television, video and other captioning. Principal current activity in this area is under the more specific captioned TV and captioned movies complaints inquiries.
- Assistance animals and health regulation: update (July 2000). See also Discussion paper and submissions. This process was in response to requests for clarification of the relationship between the Disability Discrimination Act and laws which restrict access by animals to certain places in the interests of health and hygiene.
Previous inquiries
Papers from previous inquiries by the Commission in the disability rights area are posted on different areas of this site according to the nature of the inquiry and the issue concerned. For example, a number of inquiries conducted on public transport issues can be found through our transport page.
Details of exemption applications previously considered by the Commission can be found in the exemptions section.
Decisions by the Commission as a tribunal on complaints referred to it by the Commissioner, and summaries of other decisions on complaints, are kept separately: see the Complaint Decisions page.
For other inquiries check our A-Z index. Let us know if you have any trouble finding documents from an inquiry you are interested in: this will help us with the design of our site as it develops.
Reports and documents from inquiries conducted by HREOC prior to establishment of our website in 1996 are generally not available in electronic form. However, some materials from the National Inquiry into the Human Rights of People with a Mental Illness have now been placed on this site in view of the continuing importance of the findings and recommendations of this inquiry.
About public inquiry processes
Public inquiries can be conducted by the Commission or the Commissioner for a number of purposes under the DDA and under the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act in relation to disability rights issues. Inquiries can be inquiries under a reference given by the Attorney-General or can be initiated by the Commission. This includes:
- inquiries to determine whether and on what terms an application for temporary exemption should be granted under DDA section 55 (See the Commission s Exemptions Policy)
- inquiries into complaints (See recent notices of inquiry issued, for example in the captioned TV inquiry, for practice in this area. A revised practice note on complaint inquiries is now available.)
- inquiries for the purpose of reviewing an enactment for consistency with the objects of the DDA
- inquiries to determine whether the Commission ought to adopt or vary guidelines for prevention of discrimination in a particular area
- inquiries for the purpose of promoting awareness of and compliance with the objects of the DDA regarding a particular issue.
We believe that the purposes of the DDA are best served by conducting the Commission s processes as openly as possible (except where privacy considerations require confidentiality of personal information) and in a way that permits effective input and debate from all interested parties. Conducting public inquiry processes on line is a major part of the Commission s strategy in this area.
Submissions to any of our current inquiry processes are very welcome. If possible we prefer submissions by email, to disabdis@humanrights.gov.au .
Except where privacy requirements or other confidentiality concerns mean that a submission or part of a submission needs to be kept private, we will post submissions on this site to give interested parties access to a broader range of views and information rather than just the Commission s own views and interpretation.
Submissions to inquiries by other bodies
- Australian Law Reform Commission Inquiry on human genetic information: see also inquiry report
- Productivity Commission inquiry on the DDA: initial submission ; second submission and third submission (RTF zipped): see also Inquiry report and Government response
- Disability Discrimination Amendment (Education Standards) Bill 2004
- Disability Discrimination Amendment Bill 2003: see also Senate Committee Report (PDF)
- Civil Aviation Amendment (Relationship with Anti-Discrimination Legislation) Bill 2004: see also Senate Committee report (PDF)