The right to participate

The South Australian Government recognises that people living with disability face many barriers within society including ongoing exclusion and discrimination. People living with disability have the right to full participation in society and we must do all we can to remove those barriers, including raising awareness about disability, challenging and changing attitudes and behaviours, being actively inclusive and rejecting all forms of discrimination.

Direct discrimination

Direct discrimination happens when a person, or a group of people, is treated less favourably than another because of their background or certain personal characteristics.

• Example: Refusing a person access to an event because they are accompanied by an assistance dog.
• Example: Failing to provide suitable physical access to an event for a person with disability and holding an event in inaccessible venues that cannot be modified.

Indirect discrimination

Indirect discrimination occurs when access is available to everyone but has the effect of disadvantaging some people because of a personal characteristic they share.

• Example: Failing to provide a suitable place for a person using a wheelchair to watch a show.
• Example: Failing to provide adequate toilet facilities for people with physical disability.

Creating accessible and inclusive community events will help remove barriers to participation and reduce opportunity for direct and indirect discrimination.