The booklet Unfair treatment....what to do, launched by the Attorney General, the Honorable Bob Debus on 19 May 2004, as part of Law Week, has been designed to inform people with intellectual disabilities of their rights within the community and workplace, to suggest strategies they could employ to ensure they are dealt with fairly and equitably. It also explains how to lodge a complaint at the Anti-Discrimination Board (ADB) if the strategies and suggestions are not successful. The President of the ADB, Mr Stepan Kerkyasharian, in his welcoming speech expressed his pleasure with the booklet as it clearly represented part of the mandate of the Board, namely to assist people to deal with discrimination by suggesting strategies they might employ, while allowing them to understand they can lodge a complaint at the ADB. He pointed out that in the past four years there have been over 70 complaints from people with intellectual disabilities at the ADB. As Robert Strike, the Chair of the Council for Intellectual Disability, stated in his speech, “people with intellectual disabilities are not asking to be treated any better than anyone else; we are just asking not to be discriminated against.”

Cover of the booklet Unfair treatment...what to do

He went on to say that he felt the booklet would assist people in speaking out when they felt they had been treated unfairly.

The Honorable Mr Debus spoke of what a useful and worthwhile publication it was, as it gave “real, practical and down to earth assistance to citizens of NSW” and this was reflective of the core of the work the staff at the ADB do on a daily basis with passion.

He went on to say that the booklet was invaluable, being well illustrated, easy to read and in plain language. He feels it will assist in addressing the complacency that develops within our society towards issues such as discrimination of a type that does not attract publicity.

Mr Stepan Kerkyasharian, the Honourable Mr Debus and the Mr Robert Strike each thanked those who were contributors, models or members of the steering committee for making the book as successful and focused as it is.

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PDF - Booklet - Unfair Treatment...what to do

For a hardcopy of the booklet please ask for Publications Administration on 9268 5555 or toll free on 1800 670 812.