ࡱ> XZY5@ bjbj22 @DXX8 8 lB D) ( F!!!!A0"@%P($O+R-t(   t(( :! !R"a! :~ F: !47)) '.:'.(a!'.a!X5tct(t(    Your ref: Our ref: Inquiries: Dr Ruth Shean Telephone: (08) 9426 9250 Mr David Mason Disability Rights Unit Human Right and Equal Opportunity Commission GPO Box 5218 SYDNEY NSW 1042 Dear Mr David Mason Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commissions discussion paper of: Assistance Animals under the Disability Discrimination Act. Currently iIn Western Australia the Disability Services Commission has had limited some discussion regarding assistance animals has occurred with government transport agencies, private transport carriers and community members on assistance animals. The main issues being:;However, clarification about the use of assistance animals has been sought from the Disability Services Commission. tThe Disability Services Commission sees the main concerns issues as: training of assistance animals., Thiswhich is currently only available for guide dogs in Western Australia with o, other than general behaviour management training of dogs provided by the Canine Association or private dog trainers; and Sstate legislation, such as the Health Act 1911, that only identifies guide dogs and in some cases, hearing dogs, to assist people with disabilities. State legislation (Health Act) that only identifies Guide dogs to assist people with disabilities. The need for a nationally uniform mechanism for the assessment of all assistance animal??? These issues have also been identified in your discussion paper. In Western Australia, preliminary discussions have occurred with transport agencies within the Department for Planning and Infrastructure regarding their policy and the current understanding of assistance animals travelling on public transport. Until furthersome clarification is providedoccurs at either the State or Commonwealth level, no formal procedures have been determined and each occurrence casei is considered on its individual meritsa case-by-case basis. This means that some assistance animals are already travelling on public transport in Western Australia. No discussions have taken place with the Association for the Blind, who currently train guide dogs, to identify whether their services could be extended to training other assistance animals. The comprehensive training that currently exists for guide dogs would not necessarily be required for other assistance animals and additional funding for thiseir service would also bewould need to be a considerationed. A community perception that The terms companion animals and , assistance animals and service animals are the same would require clarification as their meaning varies within different sectors of the community and yet these terms can be applied to all animals that assist a person with a disability.. Training and registration through an association may provide this clarification, however, the additional issue of animals, other than dogs, as assistance animals, would also need to be reflected in any training provided. This also raises the question as to whether a national uniform mechanism for the assessment of all assistance animals is required and who would develop and administer this procedure. The Disability Services Commission would like to be involved in further developments within this area, with Ms Helen Granville as the nominated contact officer (telephone 9426 9222 or email on  HYPERLINK "mailto:heleng@dsc.wa.gov.au" heleng@dsc.wa.gov.au ). 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