Law Week

Law Week 

11 - 17 May 2009!

 

The Disability Discrimination Legal Service is holding an event during law week. 

 

Venue:

Ross House, 247 Flinders Lane Melbourne.  Wheelchair access. 

 

Do animal assistance laws have enough bite?

LAW WEEK Workshop by the Disability Discrimination Legal Service (DDLS) Monday May 11, 2009 3.00 - 4. 30 pm Mezzanine

Ross House 247 Flinders Lane Melbourne

Whilst guide dogs are well recognised in the community, other forms of assistance animals are less well known. Even a black Labrador goes beyond the public stereotype of an assistance animal. We need lots of public education so people realise there are different types of assistant animals, and people have a right to use them.

Dating as far back as Ancient Greece and medieval times, the first guide dog was trained in Germany in 1916 to assist World War I soldiers who had lost their sight. This workshop will cover the history and development of the law on anti discrimination and assistant animals.

More importantly, it focuses on the challenges faced by people with disabilities who are reliant on assistant animals.

The federal and state laws provide protection from discrimination for people using assistance animals, however the protection is patchy, and the law contains several inconsistencies.

The workshop will examine how these challenges have been addressed by both federal and Victorian bodies.

It will also examine some of the case law in particular Queensland (Queensland Health) V Che Forest [2008].

This workshop is not only important for people with a disability who use assistance animals but also for organisations that train assistance animals and support assistance animal partnerships, employers, service providers and the wider community. Assistant animals are most welcome!

For information or to book a place at the workshop contact Disability Discrimination Legal Service Inc on 9654 8644 or solicitor@ddls.org.au