Dear Submission persons 
I hope this is okay for inclusion. 
I write this as a disillusioned complainant to HREOC that conciliated a Deed of Release to a complaint, made by me, on behalf of my son, and against the Victorian Dept. of Education. 
Although a case of discrimination against my son on the grounds of his disability seemed obvious, the conciliated settlement that was agreed to was a farce. 
HREOC have no ability to enforce agreements. What the??? 
Firstly, should a person with a significant impairment be discriminated against, a fair and just system of assessment needs to be afforded and then enforced. 
The process that I was involved with was neither. 
With my $16 an hour disability lawyer (that knew not School Regulations, etc. ...new to job I believe), anyway, with this assistance , we were to reconcile my complaint against the In House DEET equal opportunity lawyer, a policy manager from 'in town' and a manager from Region.(all three employed by the Education Dept..) 
Three high status professionals, versus me and someone learnin' the job. 
Anyway, I did manage to include one provision that I believed would ensure my son's resumption into education. He had been excluded after 10 weeks of secondary school, and this was 3 years later. 
He had a full-time aide that worked as a skilled communication partner, at Primary School but I could get no resources at home, nor a school to cater to his educational needs. He can read, but not talk. 
Anyway, at the end of last year, because he is now over 18, he cannot "stay" at school unless doing VCE. 
I am told he can't do VCE because he hasn't done year 10. The only reason he hasn't done year 10 is because he was always kept excluded. Both times, in 1998, much the cause of his anger and unsuccessful transition to secondary school and then again when he was being phased back from mid 2001 to last December. 
I rang HREOC complaining that a condition of the Deed of Release to the conciliated settlement has not been fulfilled. 
"We have no power to carry out agreements" I was told, and "highly unusual for one party not to do so" or so it was said. 
So I should have got the papers stamped by a magistrate. 
Bit late to find that out now. 
In many ways, it seems more damaging to have 'non core' laws like the DDA.....it's as if the law exists but only in rhetoric....the claytons law. 
Yours faithfully 
Graeme Taylor