Australian Chemical Trauma Alliance Inc
A participating Organization of the National Toxic Network  

http://www.ozemail.com.au/~actall

President                                                         Treasurer                                                   National Co-ordinator/Inquiries
Mr Rex Warren                                                Margaret Crumpton                                     Ann Want
19 Pike Crescent                                              “Comarden”                                                 309 East Bonville Rd
Gladstone Qld 4680                                         Duncan’s Creek NSW 2340                         Bonville NSW 2441
Ph/Fax: 07 4979 1828                                      Ph/Fax: 02 6764 2354                                  Ph/Fax: 02 6653 4531
Email: warren_r@tpg.com.au                          Email: mcrumpton@optusnet.com.au         Email: acespade@northnet.com                          

June 17, 2003 

Productivity Commission
Disability Discrimination Act

People with severe Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) certainly are disabled. The disease has no known cure, and is constantly aggravated by a large range of common activities in the community. The disease is largely unrecognized and generally misunderstood by general medical practitioners. The disease prevents suffers from gaining employment and people with MCS loose access to an independent income. They are among the poorest people in the community with the worst quality of life. 

In theory the Disability Discrimination Act should protect the interests of people with MCS, but due to both community ignorance and self-interest of hospital staff people with MCS find it nearly impossible to access basic health care in public hospitals. The chemicals used in hospitals, perfumes and personal body care products worn by hospital staff mean people with MCS end up sicker by going to hospital than by risking their lives staying away with other life threatening illnesses or when urgent surgical procedures are required.      
 
The real problem of Disability Discrimination Act is that it’s virtually useless while legal representation remains unaffordable. Therefore, state health departments and medical staff simply “thumb their nose” at the plight of people with MCS and the consequences of the Disability Discrimination Act because they know enforcement is unlikely. A situation has been made worse in recent years by cuts in legal aid funding.     

It has been our experience that until people with MCS can get adequate access to legal representation the Disability Discrimination Act is useless and might as well not exist. 

People with MCS face discrimination in every aspect of their daily lives. There is no social security support for those who cannot work. They can’t enter most shops, and government offices. The chemical spraying activities of local councils, businesses, industries, even neighbours and people in the street can make their lives an intolerable hell. To top it off they can’t even get help in hospitals!  

There are very few social groups in Australia today who constantly suffer the consequences of discrimination as much as people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.

I respectfully ask the Productivity Commission to consider these reasons as to why the Disability Discrimination Act fails people disabled by Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.

Yours truly,

Rex Warren
National President
Australian Chemical Trauma Alliance
(07) 4978 6022 Business Hours