Knowing your rights: Education (Article: 24)
All people have a right to education, this includes Deaf and disabled people.
In following the Convention, Australia agrees to ensure that their general education systems, such as schools, TAFEs and universities, include people with disability.
Education is important, because it helps with the full development of a person’s potential and allows them to live a full and enjoyable life.
The education system must ensure a good quality education, without discrimination, from primary and secondary school, through to TAFE, University and beyond.
Schools should try to match supports to each student to meet individual learning needs.
This could include using interpreters, note takers, or specialised Teachers of the Deaf.
Teachers should try to adapt their teaching methods to suit their learners, such as using visual aids, storytelling or case studies to aid learning.
Australia should ensure people with disability get the supports they need in the general education system or the option to access special support in specialised schools that help them get the most out of their education and learn other life skills.
Australia should help people with disability learn a variety of life, communication and social skills, including sign languages, and arrange for people to support and mentor them, if needed, and make sure that students who are Deaf or deaf/blind are taught in the types of communication they can understand, such as Auslan.
Public schools should hire teachers, including teachers with disability and interpreters, who are suitably qualified in sign language and who understand Deaf culture, and train education staff in how to teach and support people who are Deaf or have a disability.
People with disability have the right to get the same access as other people to school, university education, vocational training, adult education and other courses without discrimination.
Knowing your rights: Work and employment (Article: 27)
In Australia, all people have the right to look for work and get employment.
How does the Australian Government prevent discrimination in the area of employment?
- by banning unlawful discrimination in areas of employment, including getting a job, keeping a job, and getting a promotion;
- by making sure people with disability have fair work conditions, such as equal opportunities, equal pay for doing the same sort of work;
- by ensuring Deaf people have access to career advancement and the opportunity to change jobs, the same as other people;
- by ensuring Deaf and disabled people are free to join a union to get support in changes to their working conditions like other people;
- by encouraging job opportunities, work experience, training, career advancement and self-employment opportunities for people with disability;
- by showing a good example by hiring people with disability in the government and encouraging private businesses to hire people with disability; and
- by protecting people with disability from being forced to work long hours for unfair wages, in the same way other people are protected.
This video was funded by the Australian Government. © DSS 2014
This video accompanying this text was endorsed by Deaf Australia. Category 1: Auslan signs, Auslan grammar. Deaf Australia Inc website.