Disability Human Rights in the Spotlight

Australia’s disability human rights record to be scrutinised for the first time under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 

This week Australia will be reviewed, for the first time, under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, to which Australia is a signatory.

The Australian NGO delegation to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Geneva includes representatives from a number of Disabled Peoples Organisations and disability advocacy organisations.

This delegation will be providing information on the situation of people with disability in Australia, based on extensive consultation with people with disability across Australia.

The meeting of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will be held from 2 to 13 September 2013, with Australia appearing on 3 to 4 September.

“Following its dialogue with the Australian Government delegation, the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) will make its Concluding Observations or recommendations to the Australian Government on the steps it should take to ensure the rights of people with disability are respected, protected and fulfilled,” a spokesperson for the delegation said.

The Australian delegation to the UN is made up of representatives from a number of Disabled People's Organisations and disability advocacy organisations.

• Damian Griffis, First Peoples Disability Network Australia (FPDN)
• Rosemary Kayess, Australian Centre for Disability Law (ACDL)
• Therese Sands, People with Disability Australia (PWDA)
• Brett Casey, Queenslanders with Disability Network (QDN)
• Carolyn Frohmader, Women With Disability Australia (WWDA)
• David Heckendorf, People with Disability Australian Capital Territory (PWD ACT)
• Judy Huett, Speak Out Tasmania
• Paul Cain, National Council on Intellectual Disability (NCID)
• Stephen Gianni, Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO)
• Raja Relf, Physical Disability Australia (PDA)