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Respect is still not there

Jun 26, 2013

KELLY VINCENT: Yesterday’ s front page story about a young woman’s experience with the simple everyday act of purchasing a coffee will resonate with many people (What you see – and who I am, InDaily, June 25, 2013). Sad but true. It is refreshing, however, to see a media report that really seems to understand the issue, and to write about it in an open manner without being condescending.

This coffee retailer is just one that is part of mainstream service culture in this country that still doesn’t get it. Two decades after the introduction of the Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act, we still don’t have the respect and accessibility that is ours by right. How an adult working in the food service industry could not be aware of the discrimination and harm of their action in identifying a customer by reference to her disability strikes at the very heart of what is wrong. To move on and to change this situation requires “calling” discrimination of this kind whenever and wherever it occurs, not putting up with it because so many people just don’t get it. Get it – it’s the law.

Kelly Vincent is a Dignity for Disability MLC

 

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