A Deaf mum who says her newborn daughter died because she was forced to co-sleep with her is suing the Department of Human Services. The heartbroken mother, who can’t be named for legal reasons, carries her baby’s ashes with her as a reminder of her “little angel”. Her baby was just seven weeks old when … Continued
Children, disabled people and the mentally ill will be denied access to free legal advice on compensation matters under a range of cuts to Legal Aid NSW. The service is $200,000 in deficit and has been forced to find savings to meet an even tighter budget for the new financial year, but ruled out tightening … Continued
The carer who looked after a severely autistic boy who drowned on a day trip was unaware of his client’s disabilities and never received any relevant training from the agency that hired him, an inquest has heard. Vipula Rajakaruna Mudiyanselage was caring for Felix Hua in his then role as a community support worker with … Continued
This Brochure is available from the Victoria Legal Aid website either as a document or a pdf download. It contains information about what an involuntary treatment order is, what your rights are when you are on one, getting your order reviewed and how to get free legal help. Visit the link below for all this information … Continued
As a result of increased advocacy for justice reinvestment in recent years, the Australian Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee is conducting an Inquiry into the value of a justice reinvestment approach to criminal justice in Australia. The Australian Human Rights Commission’s former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Dr Tom Calma, was one … Continued
This Booklet is a general guide to help individuals when dealing with the police and includes specific information for those under the age of 18 and people with a mental disability or impairment. It includes information about arrest, being in custody and searches but is not a replacement for legal advice. Thirteenth Edition ISBN 978 1 921 180 80 … Continued
This Guide will help people with a disability understand what the law says about disability discrimination. It outlines options and explains what is involved if legal action is taken. It is not meant to replace legal advice but does give examples from actual cases and from everyday situations in order to help understand the law. … Continued
In May 2009, the Attorney-General asked the Victorian Law Reform Commission to review the Guardianship and Administration Act 1986 and report on whether changes are needed. Laws about guardianship and administration affect people who have someone appointed to make decisions for them because their decision-making capacity is impaired. All inquiry reports are available for download … Continued
This guide provides Legal advocates with information about the guardianship List within the Victorian Civil Administrative Tribunal. This guide would also be of use to the wider community who have a disability.
The Commonwealth must stop employment discrimination and segregation and instead support real inclusion, real jobs, real wages and uphold basic human rights Today, the High Court of Australia dismissed the Commonwealth’s application to appeal the Federal Court decision which ruled that the Business Services Wage Assessment Tool (BSWAT) discriminated against people with intellectual disability. Today’s … Continued
This free booklet explains: what family violence means family violence intervention orders how an order can affect you how to respond if someone has applied for an order against you what happens at court how to contest an order ending or changing an intervention order.
The state’s public advocate is calling for all prisoners to be routinely checked for all cognitive impairments, including acquired brain injuries and intellectual disabilities, when they enter jail. Colleen Pearce heads the independent body the Victorian government set up to protect the rights of people with a disability. She said it was critical to identify … Continued
Some research suggests parents with intellectual disabilities are over represented in child protection cases. Susan finds it hard to multitask: she struggles to cook a meal and keep an eye on her toddler at the same time. She says she also finds it hard to make judgements when things aren’t black and white. Any ‘grey’ … Continued
The story is about access to justice for people with a communication disability and/or an intellectual disability. Jai Phillips, Advocate, and a person she has represented is interviewed. They talk about the barriers that are faced in bringing an alleged assault against someone with complex communication needs before the courts.
An intellectually disabled man was left in prison for more than a year for a crime he could not have understood, largely because accommodation could not be found for him. County Court Judge Mark Taft called Ross Cunningham’s 371 days on remand an ”embarrassment to the administration of criminal justice” in a ruling on Friday … Continued