ACT Discrimination and Disability Services Commissioner

Disability & Community Services Complaints 

If you are unhappy with the provider of your disability supports you can contact the ACT Human Rights Commission to make a complaint. 

ACT Human Rights Commission logo

The Disability and Community Services Commissioner handles complaints about:

  • services for people with a disability and carers, disability service providers, the NDIA, services for carers
  • services for older people in the ACT
  • services for children and young people including youth justice services, child protection services, schools, sport, health services for children. 

The role of the Commissioner is also to promote:

  • improvements in the provision of services,
  • the rights of users of services,
  • an awareness of the rights and responsibilities of users and providers of services.

Karen Toohey is the Disability and Community Services Commissioner, and also the Discrimination Commissisoner and Health Services Commissioner.  

Discrimination Complaints

The ACT Human Rights Commission works to prevent and remedy disability-based discrimination.  

In the ACT, the Discrimination Act 1991 makes it unlawful to to treat someone unfavourably because they have a disability.

The legislation also covers imputing a disability to a person or treating someone unfavourably because of a past or possible future disability, or because of physical appearance, and covers persons who have a guide dog, hearing dog, assistance animal or other aid.

The ACT Human Rights Commission is an independent body that handles discrimination complaints (among other types of complaints). The Commission also promotes and educates the community about their rights and responsibilities under equal opportunity laws, provides policy advice and offers a fair and accessible process for dealing with complaints. 

If you need assistance with making a complaint, Disability Discrimination Law is a specialist legal service of Canberra Community Law that provides free, independent and confidential legal assistance in disability discrimination law for people living in the ACT. 

There are also Federal laws against disability discrimination: Disability Discimination Act 1992. If you wish to make a complaint under this Commonwealth legislation you need to contact the Australian Human Rights Commission (based in Sydney). 

 

Further information 

ACT Human Rights Commission:

Telephone: 02 6205 2222

Disability and Community Services Commissioner

Disability Services

Complaints

Factsheet - Information for people making complaints

Form - Make a complaint about a service

ACT Disability Discrimination complaints

Disability Action Plan 2018-19

For information on the Quality and Safeguarding Commission and other complaints handling bodies see How do I make a complaint?

 

Factsheets on the Canberra Community Law website:

Disability Discrimination Complaints in the ACT Human Rights Commission

Disability Discrimination Complaints in the Australian Human Rights Commission

 

Relevant Legislation:

Human Rights Commission Act 2005