Victorian launch of the Companion
Card

Speech by Susan Halliday Federal Acting Disability Discrimination Commissioner, 6 December 2000

As Federal Acting Disability Discrimination Commissioner, I'd like to
take this opportunity to congratulate the Victorian Government and venues
that have supported the Companion Card concept.

Rest assured, being equal isn't about equal treatment. It's about understanding
difference, valuing it and ensuring equity via equilibrium. Communities
are made up of a diverse range of clients and customers, each of whom
is equally entitled to experience entertainment, whether visual, sporting
or musical.

It is important to reflect on the fact that non discriminatory access
to goods and services has been covered by the Federal Disability Discrimination
Act since 1992. I'd also like to draw your specific attention to Section
8 of the Act, which is a general purpose provision defining discrimination.
Put simply, it means one would contravene the Act if one was to discriminate
on the basis of the need to be accompanied by an assistant or carer. While
the extent of the provisions have yet to be fully tested in a court of
law, failure to fulfil this requirement clearly runs the risk of liability,
for everyone involved.

With the SOCOG v Maguire experiences fresh in our minds, as Disability
Discrimination Commissioner, I'd advise people to think carefully before
working against the tide. And indeed, in my humble view, SOCOG' s refusal
to fix its website so all people could utilise it has distinct attitudinal
similarities when it comes to an outright decision not to consider ways
to accommodate individual's needs by mechanisms such as the Companion
Card concept.

Choosing not to implement change strategies and processes that allow
for equality of opportunity and equitable access may well be far more
expensive than the implementation of the change process. This is particularly
so if one factors in both product image and company reputation are at
stake as well as legal fees and possible compensatory damages.

Some think about the Companion Card as "losing one seat", but without
it the new client wouldn't otherwise be there, occupying a seat. We need
to focus on the half-full, rather than the half-empty, glass scenario.

Another section in the Disability Discrimination Act covers non-discriminatory
access and provision of goods and services to people who utilise assistance
animals. I'll leave it with you to contemplate how it is that the Australian
community and business sector are more au fait and accepting of people
who utilise assistance animals, than they are of people who rely on other
people to provide assistance in order to participate.

Many organisations have lodged Disability Discrimination Action Plans
with the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, a measure of their
proactivity and commitment when it comes to working to achieve the spirit
and intent of the Disability Discrimination Act. There is a need for more
proactivity across the entertainment industry.

I congratulate the Victorian Government, in it's role as manager/owner
of many large venues for their leadership. Village Roadshow has lodged
a public Disability Discrimination Action Plan and along with the Melbourne
Grand Prix and Melbourne Ball Park are supporting the Companion Card.
The Companion Card is an excellent way of meeting some of the obligations
service providers have under the Disability Discrimination Act. Congratulations
also to all the people who have worked so hard to progress the scheme
to the current stage. I call for national adoption of the scheme and note
the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission supports the ongoing
development of the Companion Card concept.