Tip 9 - Get to know your rights and responsibilities

Be well informed, and help your young person be informed, of their rights. There are laws that protect the rights of people with disability.
Having rights also means having responsibilities. Make sure your young person understands that their responsibilities are just as important as their rights, and that the best way to protect their rights in study, training or work is to also know and meet their responsibilities.
The Disability Discrimination Act is designed to ensure that people with a disability aren't treated less fairly than people without a disability. It covers a range of life areas, including access, education, employment, activities and sport.
- If a person with a disability feels they have been discriminated against, they can make a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission.
Building on the Disability Discrimination Act, there are specific Disability Standards for Education. These standards set out the rights of people with disabilities particularly in education settings. This includes at school, TAFE or university.
- Education providers are responsible for making reasonable adjustments to enable people with disabilities to participate in education on the same basis as other students.
It is important that your young person consider the issue of disclosure.
- Disclosing means intentionally telling other people about a disability or chronic medical condition. Encourage your young person to consider the following:
  - What are they prepared to tell people about their disability?
  - Who will they tell?
  - When will they tell?
- They may choose to disclose different amounts of information about their disability to different people or for different purposes.
It is very important that you and your young person know their rights with regard to disclosure and make informed decisions. For example:
- they do not have to disclose their disability to others – unless they want to access reasonable adjustments
- if they do choose to disclose, they only have to disclose to certain people and not to everyone
A great resource to help make important decisions about disclosure is the Choosing your Path website