Disability Inclusive Law and Policy Hub

Background

Melbourne Law School (MLS) has had strength in disability law for many years. The Disability Hallmark Research Initiative was one of the first Hallmark Initiatives at the University of Melbourne (UoM) and it was hosted at MLS from 2014–2018 and led by Associate Professor Arstein-Kerslake as Academic Convenor and Professor Keith McVilly as Chair of the Steering Committee. The Initiative focused on interdisciplinary work across the University, with a focus on disability rights.

Purpose and Scope

Laws have a profound impact on all citizens, but today the law does not treat all Australians equally. Therefore, the primary purpose of the Disability Inclusive Law and Policy Hub is to contribute to ensuring that all of Australia’s laws treat people with disability equally.

Therefore the  Hub encompasses the entire spectrum of ways in which disability, law, and policy intersect – for example, discrimination, human rights, legal capacity, mental health, employment, social security, the NDIS, criminal law, technology, artificial intelligence (AI), access to health care and others. It is unique in Australia and one of only a small number of disability law research hubs globally with such a broad purpose and vision.

The Hub provides an academic research platform for scholars throughout the Melbourne Law School to share ideas and collaborate in relation to law and policy reform to contribute to improving outcomes for people with disability.

The Hub is deeply committed to working with people with disability, their families and carers to focus on the issues that are of most importance them. It is therefore a platform for partnership, collaboration and deep listening.

The Hub is one of seven disability research hubs supported by the Melbourne Disability Institute and so is part of a broader network of researchers committed to improving the lives of people with disability, their families and carers.

The Hub builds on strong relationships with the disability community, previous interdisciplinary collaborations, including the Disability Hallmark Research Initiative, and the Melbourne Law School Disability Network.

The Hub is also committed engaging directly with curriculum review processes and undertaking ongoing efforts to ensure that disability inclusive law and policy is embedded in teaching and learning at the University of Melbourne and ensuring that the University of Melbourne is a leader in disability inclusion.

Disability Legal Clinics

The Disability Hub includes two disability legal clinics at Melbourne Law School. The first is the Disability Human Rights Clinic (DHRC), founded by A/Prof Anna Arstein-Kerslake, Director of the Disability Hub, in 2015. The DHRC take a systemic approach to law and policy reform and students work directly with Australian and international partner organisation to deliver high impact projects related to the rights of disabled people. The second clinic is the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and Disability Benefits Clinic, which was founded by A/Prof Anna Arstein-Kerslake in 2020. In this clinic, student deliver community legal education projects related to the NDIS, work directly with clients on applications for NDIS and disability benefits, as well as appeals. Students have also undertaken policy and law reform work related to the NDIS. Partners on the clinic have included Villamanta Disability Legal Service and Victoria Legal Aid.

Melbourne Law Masters

In the Masters of Law (MLM) programme at Melbourne Law School, the Hub also offers two subjects, one on Disability Human Rights Law, and another on Gender and Health Law, which has a strong focus on intersectional identities, including disabled women, disabled gender diverse people, and others.

In addition, the Hub engages in work to increase awareness of disability issues at MLS and UoM and to ensure that the voices of persons with disabilities are heard.

This space will highlight the breadth and impact of the work taking place across our community, showcasing innovative ideas, collaborative projects, and evidence-based insights that advance knowledge and practice within our field.