How are DDA standards enforced?
The DDA does not provide a separate enforcement regime for standards. Non-compliance with a standard is an unlawful act under the DDA in the same way that non-compliance with one of the existing anti-discrimination provisions is an unlawful act. In each case a complaint can be made to the Commission by or on behalf of a person or class of persons aggrieved by the act of discrimination, with provision for complaints to be taken to the Federal Court or Federal Magistrate’s Service if the Commission is unable to resolve the matter by conciliation. The difference that Disability Standards are intended to make to this process is that it should be clearer in advance what people’s rights and responsibilities are, without having to resort to complaint and litigation processes to find out.
