Disability discrimination is protected by law in Australia. If you experience discrimination because of your disability, the law may be able to help you.
There are both Federal and NSW laws that protect you against discrimination in many areas of life; including employment, education, accommodation, getting to or using services, accessing public places and harassment.
There are two main types of disability discrimination:
Direct discrimination is when a person with a disability is treated less favourably than a person without the disability in the same or similar circumstances. For example, it would be ‘direct disability discrimination’ if a nightclub or restaurant refused a person entry because they are blind and have a guide dog.
Indirect discrimination is when there is a rule or policy that is the same for everyone but has an unfair effect on people with a particular disability. For example, it may be indirect disability discrimination if the only way to enter a public building is by a set of stairs because people with disabilities who use wheelchairs would be unable to enter the building.