Provide different catering choices where possible and ensure that catering staff are briefed on helping people with disability with their selection and service. Other considerations include ensuring that there are sufficient seats and tables available, that there is room for everybody to manoeuvre safely between tables and that there is a range of cutlery and crockery provided. Further reading: Meetings and Events Australia, (2009). Department of Social Services, (2012). Trainer’s note: Instruct learners to turn to page 147 of their Learner Guide and ask someone to read out the following case study. Disability discrimination in the provision of goods and services (This case is based on a complaint that was conciliated by the Australian Human Rights Commission) The complainant, who is blind and has a hearing impairment, attended a conference organised by the respondent industry body. He claimed he was unable to access or participate in large sections of the conference because materials were not made available to him in accessible formats, presenters were not briefed on how to deliver accessible sessions and the hearing loop was not functional in a number of rooms. On advised of the complaint the industry body agreed to participate in conciliation. The complaint was resolved with an agreement that the industry body pay the complainant $3,000 and provide him with presentation materials in an accessible format. The industry body agreed to seek expert advice on its guidelines for planning accessible events, which were developed in response to the complaint, and to publish the finalised guidelines on its website. Discussion questions: In this case study, which of the complainant’s rights were limited and how? How might this have impacted on his level of inclusion? What key policies and practices do you the industry body should include in their new guidelines?
Provide different catering choices where possible and ensure that catering staff are briefed on helping people with disability with their selection and service. Other considerations include ensuring that there are sufficient seats and tables available, that there is room for everybody to manoeuvre safely between tables and that there is a range of cutlery and crockery provided. Further reading: Meetings and Events Australia, (2009). Department of Social Services, (2012). Trainer’s note: Instruct learners to turn to page 147 of their Learner Guide and ask someone to read out the following case study. Disability discrimination in the provision of goods and services (This case is based on a complaint that was conciliated by the Australian Human Rights Commission) The complainant, who is blind and has a hearing impairment, attended a conference organised by the respondent industry body. He claimed he was unable to access or participate in large sections of the conference because materials were not made available to him in accessible formats, presenters were not briefed on how to deliver accessible sessions and the hearing loop was not functional in a number of rooms. On advised of the complaint the industry body agreed to participate in conciliation. The complaint was resolved with an agreement that the industry body pay the complainant $3,000 and provide him with presentation materials in an accessible format. The industry body agreed to seek expert advice on its guidelines for planning accessible events, which were developed in response to the complaint, and to publish the finalised guidelines on its website. Discussion questions: In this case study, which of the complainant’s rights were limited and how? How might this have impacted on his level of inclusion? What key policies and practices do you the industry body should include in their new guidelines?