The rights of people with disability are protected by legislation at both the NT and Commonwealth level. Laws reflect the values and social environments of the time they are written. As community values change, so too are laws reviewed to ensure a good match between community values and expectations and the law.
In the NT, the Disability Services Act is quite old having been enacted in 1993. The Anti-discrimination Act was originally enacted in 1992 but has had many revisions since then, the latest in 2007, to ensure it has kept path with changing values and expectations. Other NT legislation that impacts primarily on people with disability are the Adult Guardianship Act, Carers Recognition Act, and the Community Welfare Act.
Commonwealth legislation complements NT legislation in a number of cases and in others provides additional safeguards for people with disability.
- Disability Services Act
- Anti Discrimination Act
- Adult Guardianship Act
- Carer's Recognition Act
- Community Welfare Act
- Australian Government Disability Discrimination Act