If you are in a situation where you feel you are discriminated against or feel you are denied your rights, you can advocate for yourself or you can make a complaint.
This page provides organisations, websites and information that you can refer to about your rights in education, work and other areas if you feel you are discriminated against. This also includes links to websites where you can make a complaint.
Deaf Victoria is a deaf organisation advocating for the deaf and hard of hearing community in Victoria. They also can provide advice, training and referrals. You can contact Deaf Victoria to gain help in any area – education, employment, sports, recreation, health care and more.
Click here to go to their website.
The video is a short guide to advocacy for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, produced by Deaf Victoria with the assistance of deafConnectEd.
Your rights to education
Disability Discrimination Act – Education Standards Website
This website is for people with a disability, an associate of a person with a disability, or a person involved in the delivery of education. It does not cover the full detail of the DDA Education Standards, just the more important parts of the Standards. Information is in English with Auslan.
Click here to go to the website.
Making a complaint
If you have problems with the support you receive at your TAFE or private training provider, contact your DLO or student services. You can also make a complaint. All training providers must give you the right to make a complaint.
Sometimes training providers are not aware of the needs of learners who are Deaf or hard of hearing so you can tell them to contact deafConnectEd.
If you make a complaint but you are still not happy with the outcome, the following organisations have information about your rights and procedures for making a complaint here:
Victorian Government Skills Gateway: https://www.skills.vic.gov.au/s/making-a-complaint
Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission: https://www.humanrights.vic.gov.au/translations/auslan/
Australian Human Rights Commission: https://humanrights.gov.au/complaints/complaint-guides/complaint-information-auslan