Disability Discrimination Act 1992
Key facts
- Jurisdiction
- Australia
- Sector
- Public and private sectors
- Applies to
- Anyone in Australia who provides goods, services, or facilities, for payment or not, including businesses, nonprofits, and government, and the websites, apps, and documents they offer.
- Standard
- None named in the Act; WCAG, as recommended in the Australian Human Rights Commission's guidelines
What it requires
It is unlawful to discriminate against a person because of disability by refusing to provide goods or services, in the terms or conditions on which they are provided, or in the manner they are provided. A website that people with disabilities cannot use can fall under this.
A provider can argue that avoiding the discrimination would impose unjustifiable hardship, and the burden of proving that lies on the provider.
The Act names no technical standard. The Australian Human Rights Commission's 2025 Guidelines on equal access to digital goods and services point to WCAG as the applicable international standard for web accessibility.
How it is enforced
Complaints under the Act go to the Australian Human Rights Commission, which also publishes the guidelines. A person can take a matter to court if it is not resolved.
Sources
Get help with every step.
We can work with organizations of every size and industry, from a startup serving its first customers to a bank. We find where you stand, help your team fix what matters, and keep checking as your product changes. That work is evidence of your effort, not a legal guarantee.