What are disability accommodations?

Disability accommodations in Australia are the adjustments that employers, education providers, businesses, and service providers make to ensure that people with disability can participate on equal terms. The legal framework is set by the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA), which makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person on the basis of disability and requires reasonable adjustments unless they would impose unjustifiable hardship.

The DDA covers employment, education, the provision of goods and services, accommodation, the buying and selling of land, sport, and the administration of Commonwealth laws and programmes. Disability is defined broadly to include physical, sensory, intellectual, psychiatric, and learning disabilities, and to cover existing, past, future, and presumed disabilities. The Act prohibits both direct discrimination (treating a person less favourably because of disability) and indirect discrimination (applying a rule that disadvantages people with disability without sufficient justification).

Reasonable adjustments take many forms. In workplaces, they can include modified hours, ergonomic equipment, screen reading software, Auslan interpreters, accessible parking, additional rest breaks, modified duties, and more frequent feedback. In education, adjustments include extra time in exams, alternative formats for course materials, note-taker support, accessible venues, and individual learning plans. In services and businesses, adjustments include accessible websites, hearing loops, ramps, accessible bathrooms, and assistance animals being welcomed.

Several specific standards expand on the DDA. The Disability Standards for Education 2005 set out detailed obligations for schools and universities. The Disability (Access to Premises - Buildings) Standards 2010 govern accessibility of new buildings and major renovations. The Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002 require trains, buses, ferries, and stations to be progressively made accessible. Complaints about disability discrimination can be made to the Australian Human Rights Commission, which conducts free conciliation. The National Disability Insurance Scheme also funds many individual supports that complement DDA-required adjustments.