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ParaQuad News
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The NDIS Edition 2016
Latest
News
Alastair McEwin appointed as full-time
Disability Discrimination Commissioner
Deaf Society president Alastair
McEwin, will be taking up the
role at the Australian Human
Rights Commission in late July
as announced by the Attorney
General, George Brandis,
to the Senate. This fills the vacancy
left by Graeme Innes in 2014
when the post was abolished
and absorbed into the Age
Discrimination Commissioner’s job.
McEwin is president of the Deaf
Society and is also the chairman of
the Disability Council of NSW.
The Government had been facing
pressure to reinstate the post
after advocates argued disability-
related complaints formed the
commission’s biggest case load.
‘An incredible honour,’ was how
McEwin described his appointment.
‘I have been born
with a disability
and I have lived with
a disability all my life.
So this is a humbling
thing to be able to be
the national advocate
for all people with a
disability,’
Mr McEwin said
‘My mandate is to make sure that
it fulfils its aims of making sure that
people with a disability, no matter
where they are, can be active
members of the community.’
‘We still have a long way to go in
recognising the human rights of
all people with a disability, and I
look forward to working with the
government, the disability sector
and the human rights commission
to realise equity for all people
with a disability.’
Mr Innes who was Mr McEwin’s
predecessor as Disability
Discrimination Commissioner
said he was excited by
Mr McEwin’s appointment.
‘He is a very effective advocate,
he is a strategic operator and has a
real depth of understanding of the
disability sector and he will do a
great job in this role,’ Mr Innes said.