The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) is holding an Inquiry into Equal Employment Opportunity and Participation for People with Disabilities (see http://www.hreoc.gov.au/disability_rights/employment_inquiry/index.htm).

Please go to their website to get information on this inquiry. HREOC published several white papers that you may want to download and read.

A4's submission to the Senate Inquiry into the funding and operation of the Commonwealth State/Territory Disability Agreement can be downloaded from http://www.aph.gov.au/SENATE/committee/clac_ctte/completed_inquiries/20…

FaCS Review of  the Lists of Recognised Disabilities

Submission to this review ultimately resulted in Asperger's syndrome being added to the list (autism was already on the list). The main result is a simpler process for getting Carer's Allowance in relation to a child with Asperger's syndrome; and the outcome is longer-lasting.

A4's submission to the Inquiry into Teacher Education can be downloaded here: http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/evt/teachereduc/subs/sub115.pdf

The Senate asked its Select Committee on Mental Health to conduct a broad inquiry into mental health services and issues. The details of the inquiry: terms of reference, contacts, etc. can be found at http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/mentalhealth_ctte/index.htm

Issues A4 members raised in our submission (see http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/mentalhealth_ctte/submissions/su…) include:

The Standing Committee on Education and Vocational Training (see http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/evt/index.htm) inquired into Teacher Education (see http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/evt/teachereduc/index.htm).

Issues A4 members raised* include:

The United Nations are drafting a new international agreement on the rights of people with a disability.

The attached papers were published in the peer reviewed proceedings of the 2004 Australian Biennial Autism Conference in Canberra. The Conference was run by Autism Asperger ACT (AAACT).

The papers are no longer available on their website, so A4 made it available here ...

Autism/ASD diagnosis rates in Australia

Bob Buckley

By Danielle Cronin

Health Reporter, Canberra Times

A "silent plea" went out yesterday for political parties to improve the lot of people with autism, as well as that of their families and carers.

More than 600 chairs, bearing the photographs of people with autism and related syndromes, were set up outside Parliament House in the "first national silent plea" for members of autism families.

The wife of former deputy prime minister Tim Fischer and mother of Harrison, said the event would fire up advocacy groups like never before.