People with Disability Australia Incorporated

Photo of PWD staff and friends in costume during the Sydney Mardi-Gras parade

Issues & Campaigns

Supporting PWD

There are many ways to support us:

Make a Donation Becoming a Disability Rights Defender Volunteering and student placement Becoming a financial member

PWD has Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations

Media Releases and other News

17 January: Jetstar to continue second class treatment of people with disability

People with Disability Australia (PWD) joins the growing call for changes to Australia’s anti-discrimination laws following the Federal Court’s decision last Friday, which has left Jetstar’s discriminatory two wheelchair policy intact and a passenger with disability, Ms Sheila King with $20,000 to pay in court costs.
Click here to read more... Word 62kb

12 January: Keeping the dole low will increase hardship, not employment

People with Disability Australia (PWD) and the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (ADFO) have expressed disappointment about comments made today by Federal Employment Minister Bill Shorten ruling out increases to the Newstart Allowance.
Click here to read more... Word 62kb

Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Australia is currently taking place

The Universal Periodic Review is a process undertaken by the United Nations Human Rights Council to review the human rights records of all 192 Member States of the United Nations once every four years. This is the first time Australia has been reviewed by the UPR.

PWD is on the NGO working group that prepared the NGO report to the UN for its review of Australia. We are now watching closely to make sure human rights issues that affect people with disability remain a focus.

Over the past few days a number of countries have requested further information about the forced sterilisation of women with disability in Australia. PWD, in collaboration with Women with Disability Australia, have provided this information to the delegation. It has now been indicated that one Member State, Belgium, will be asking a question at the review about sterilisation practices in Australia. This is a great opportunity for this continuing crime to be exposed to the international community.

To watch the review process taking place LIVE, please click here (note: due to time differences much of the review process takes place at night)

Click here to watch the review process taking place LIVE, please click here (note: due to time differences much of the review process takes place at night)
Click here to read and watch NGO Delegation Updates at the Human Rights Law Resource Centre website here
Click here to learn more about PWD’s participation in the NGO Working Group.

The Australian NGO delegation has prepared a summary of the proceedings. Click here to read this summary. They have tried to provide an update on each of the thematic areas identified by the NGO coalition, so hopefully the update is interesting and useful.