Introduction
Inclusive Consultation
Consultation is an essential and valuable part of the development of legislation, government policy, programs and services.
It is the process through which stakeholders are asked to comment and contribute to decisions that directly affect them. Consultations should provide an opportunity for members of the community to express their views about government policies and programs in a safe, confidential and accessible manner.
The purposes underlying consultation may be diverse and can include:
- dissemination of information;
- identification of needs;
- narrowing a range of options;
- evaluating or reviewing policies or programs; or
- deciding on future strategies to achieve goals.
Effective consultation that incorporates and seeks the views of our diverse community is not always easy. In many cases it will require additional initiatives and effort to ensure that people from minority or disempowered groups are heard.
Many people with disability have specific needs that are not always obvious to those in the position of making policy, developing programs and undertaking planning. Including people with disability in consultations will enable the development of services, programs and facilities that are inclusive of the whole community.
Good consultation will also ensure that:
- better services are developed for all members of the community - better meeting the needs of people with disability often benefits others; and
- there is greater likelihood that the expectations and needs of people with disability will be met by Government, therefore reducing the causes for complaints under the Disability Discrimination Act.
The Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act
The Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act, commonly referred to as the DDA, makes discrimination on the basis of disability unlawful. Under this Act all Commonwealth Government activities must be accessible to people with disability. This means:
- people with disability must have access to all parts of buildings utilised by the Commonwealth in the same way as people without a disability;
- all publicly available Commonwealth information must be able to be provided, upon request, in formats accessible to people with a range of disabilities;
- staff of Commonwealth organisations must display non-discriminatory attitudes in the workplace;
- where necessary, adjustments are to be made to the workplace so that people with disability have equal opportunity to use and display their skills; and
- administration of all Commonwealth laws and programs must be consistent with the DDA.
Commonwealth Disability Strategy
The Commonwealth Disability Strategy provides a ten-year framework for Commonwealth organisations to ensure that their services, programs and facilities are accessible to people with disabilities. The Strategy is the result of consultation with people with disabilities, their supporters, representatives of the community and Commonwealth government organisations. The Strategy is an important element in achieving the Government's vision of increasing community participation by people with disabilities.
- A requirement of the Strategy is the active involvement of people with disability in decision-making processes that affect their lives, through direct participation or consultation.
Disability Action Plans
The DDA recommends that all organisations prepare disability action plans and lodge them with the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. A disability action plan should identify existing and potential discriminatory practices and set a timeframe for their removal. It is a public document and can provide evidence that an organisation is attempting to address barriers to access for people with disability.
- The development of your organisation's action plan provides a good opportunity to build in consultation at the planning stage and establish mechanisms for consulting with people with disability.