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I'm glad I asked for help

What is discrimination?

A woman frowning and pointing her finger to say no.

Discrimination is when people treat you unfairly because you are different from them.

This could be because of your:

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skin colour
religion
appearance - how you look
language
disability
sexuality.

Nobody should ever:

A montage of 4 images. The first is a woman getting angry and pointing at a young man, who is looking down. The second is a man trying to talk to a girl, but she is facing the other way and not listening. The third is a man yelling and raising his hand to a girl who is looking away. The fourth is a woman threatening another woman, who looks scared.

be mean to you
do things that are unfair to you
yell at you
treat you badly.

A cross in a circle

All of these things are wrong.

What is the Disability Discrimination Act?

Disability Discrimination Act 1993

There is a law to stop people from treating you badly – the Disability Discrimination Act (1993).

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This law also protects your rights at work.

You have the right to:

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feel safe at work
be safe and healthy in your workplace
have changes made so your workplace is fair
have information about your disability kept private.

Anyone could discriminate against you, including:

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your boss or employer
people you work with
someone running a business
neighbours or people you live with
members of your community.

A young man shrugging with his hands in the air

The person treating you unfairly might not know what they're doing is wrong.

You might feel too scared to:

A young man putting his hand up to say something

speak out

A woman putting her hand out to say stop

stop them.

A young man shrugging with his hands in the air

You might not know how to get help.

A woman has her hand over her mouth while another woman is talking to her

They might make it hard for you to tell anyone.

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If discrimination happens, it is important to speak out.

Who can help you?

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If you want to complain about discrimination, call the Equal Opportunity Commission on

(08) 9485 8900

or

the Australian Human Rights Commission on

(02) 9284 9600 or 1300 656 419

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An advocate is a person who can help you or speak up for you.

If you would like support from an advocate, call People With disabilities WA on

(08) 9420 7279

or

1800 193 331

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If you want to make a complaint about a disability service, contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission:

1800 0350 544

contactcentre@ndiscommission.gov.au

www.ndiscommission.gov.au

A young man talking on the phone

If you want to find out more about your rights at work, call JobAccess on

1800 464 800

Amaka's Story

A woman in a wheelchair, smiling and raising her hand to say something

I volunteer at a shop. One of the ladies I worked with always yelled at me and treated me badly in front of others.

She makes fun of people with disability and this makes me feel bad about myself.

I decided to tell my manager what was happening, even though I was nervous and thought I might lose my volunteer job.

But my manager changed our shifts so I'm not working with that lady anymore. I'm enjoying my volunteering much more now.

I'm glad I asked for help.

How to get help

Download the factsheet

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