COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

Disability Services Act 1986

PRINCIPLES AND OBJECTIVES FOR THE PURPOSES OF SECTION 5

I, CHRISTOPHER JOHN HURFORD, the Minister of State for Community Services, pursuant to section 5 of the Disability Services Act 1986 and section 4 of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901, hereby formulate the principles and objectives set out in the Schedule to be principles and objectives to be furthered in the administration of the Disability Services Act 1986.

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SCHEDULE

PRINCIPLES AND OBJECTIVES

Preliminary

1. In this Schedule, unless the contrary intention appears -

"advocate" means a person who assists -

(a) people with disabilities; or

(b) the families of people with disabilities,

to represent their interests;

"programs" means programs for people with disabilities administered by the Commonwealth pursuant to the Disability Services Act 1986 (the Act); and

"services" means services provided to people with disabilities and includes rehabilitation programs provided under Part III of the Act.

Principles

2. (1) People with disabilities are individuals who have the inherent right to respect for their human worth and dignity.

 (2) People with disabilities, whatever the origin, nature, type and degree of disability, have the same basic human rights as other members of Australian society.

 (3) People with disabilities have the same rights as other members of Australian society to realise their individual capacities for physical, social, emotional and intellectual development.

 (4) People with disabilities have the same right as other members of Australian society to services which will support their attaining a reasonable quality of life.

 (5) People with disabilities have the same right as other members of Australian society to participate in the decisions which affect their lives.

 (6) People with disabilities receiving services have the same right as other members of Australian society to receive those services in a manner which results in the least restriction of their rights and opportunities.

 (7) People with disabilities have the same right of pursuit of any grievance in relation to services as have other members of Australian society.

Objectives

3. (1) Services should have as their focus the achievement of positive outcomes for people with disabilities, such as increased independence, employment opportunities and integration into the community.

 (2) Services should contribute to ensuring that the conditions of the every-day life of people with disabilities are the same as, or as close as possible to, norms and patterns which are valued in the general community.

 (3) Services should be provided as part of local co-ordinated service systems and be integrated with services generally available to members of the community, wherever possible.

 (4) Services should be tailored to meet the individual needs and goals of the people with disabilities receiving those services.

 (5) Programs and services should be designed and administered so as to meet the needs of people with disabilities who experience a double disadvantage as a result of their sex, ethnic origin, or Aboriginality.

 (6) Programs and services should be designed and administered so as to promote recognition of the competence of, and enhance the image of, people with disabilities.

 (7) Programs and services should be designed and administered so as to promote the participation of people with disabilities in the life of the local community through maximum physical and social integration in that community.

 (8) Programs and services should be designed and administered so as to ensure that no single organisation providing services shall exercise control over all or most aspects of the life of a person with disabilities.

 (9) Organisations providing services, whether those services are provided specifically to people with disabilities or generally to members of the community, should be accountable to those people with disabilities who use their services, the advocates of such people, the Commonwealth and the community generally for the provision of information from which the quality of their services can be judged.

 (10) Programs and services should be designed and administered so as to provide opportunities for people with disabilities to reach goals and enjoy lifestyles which are valued by the community generally and are appropriate to their chronological age.

 (11) Services should be designed and administered so as to ensure that people with disabilities have access to advocacy support where necessary to ensure adequate participation in decision-making about the services they receive.

 (12) Programs and services should be designed and administered so as to ensure that appropriate avenues exist for people with disabilities to raise and have resolved any grievances about services.

 (13) Services should be designed and administered so as to provide people with disabilities with, and encourage them to make use of, avenues for participating in the planning and operation of services which they receive and the Commonwealth and organisations should provide opportunities for consultation in relation to the development of major policy and program changes.

 (14) Programs and services should be designed and administered so as to respect the rights of people with disabilities to privacy and confidentiality.

Dated third day of June 1987

C J Hurford

Minister of State for

Community Services