The Law Handbook 2024

Chapter 8.2: Disability: Asserting your rights 799 • legal advice and representation before the Mental Health Tribunal and VCAT for people subject to compulsory mental health treatment orders; • the Inside Access Program, which provides free civil legal services and other support services to people in some of the forensic facilities in Victoria; • assistance to write advance statements of preferences; and • Health Justice Partnerships, by which MHLC staff work with the Bolton Clarke Homeless Persons Program to provide legal support and representation to people who are at-risk of, or are experiencing, homelessness. For more information about the MHLC, visit https://mhlc.org.au. Disability Discrimination Legal Service The Disability Discrimination Legal Service ( DDLS ) is a community legal centre that is working towards the eradication of disability discrimination. The DDLS facilitates and promotes justice for people with disabilities by: • assisting to prepare and lodge complaints about disability discrimination to the relevant human rights commission; • running discrimination cases at VCAT, the Federal Circuit and Family Court and the Federal Court; • providing legal advice on sexual harassment and discrimination against women in the workplace; • running community legal education sessions for professional and community groups to raise awareness about disability and to provide information on the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) and Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic); • conducting community development research projects to investigate and challenge current social, economic and legislative issues affecting people with disability in the community. The DDLS handles discrimination cases with the intention of achieving a positive outcome for clients and setting precedents that will benefit a large number of people with disability. A priority of DDLS casework is raising public awareness of disability discrimination, so cases with potential for a high level of public interest are given preference. Also, DDLS solicitors provide free legal advice over the telephone. The DDLS has an information and referral service. For more information about the DDLS, visit www.ddls.org.au. For DDLS’s contact details, see ‘Contacts’ at the end of this chapter. AED Legal Centre The Association of Employees with a Disability Legal Centre ( AED ) is a state-wide service that provides free legal advocacy for people with disability who experience difficulties and/or discrimination in the areas of employment and education. AED also provides legal representation at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for reviews of decisions made by the National Disability Insurance Agency ( NDIA ). Although the focus of AED’s work is to seek legal remedies in cases of disability discrimination, AED operates within a human rights framework to promote and protect the rights of people with disability and to give them better access to justice in employment and education through the legal arena. For more information about AED, visit www.aed. org.au. For AED’s contact details, see ‘Contacts’ at the end of this chapter. Other sources of legal advice A private lawyer, community legal centre or Victoria Legal Aid may also be able to assist with legal issues relating to disability, treatment or discrimination (see Chapter 2.4: Legal services that can help). Victorian Health Complaints Commissioner The Victorian Health Complaints Commissioner (‘ HC Commissioner ’) resolves complaints about health services and the handling of health information in Victoria. The office began operating on 1 February 2017 under the Health Complaints Act 2016 (Vic). The HC Commissioner resolves complaints through alternative dispute resolution methods, but can also conduct investigations. The HC Commissioner’s service is free and impartial. On 1 July 2014, the Victorian Mental Health Complaints Commissioner commenced operating as a specialist body to receive and resolve complaints about public mental health services. The HC Commissioner continues to receive complaints about private sector mental health service providers.