Resources

OPCAT monitoring

Disability aware resources

About these resources

QAI has been working on a set of resources aimed at bringing increased disability awareness to the implementation of the Optional Protocol Against Torture and Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment and Punishment (OPCAT) in Australia. The resources aim to provide essential community legal education for people with disability living in places of detention and for their families and supporters and to empower people to identify practices that violate human rights as well as practices that are human rights-respecting. The resources include five Easy Read checklists and accompanying posters, as well as summary and example documents.

QAI wishes to acknowledge and thank the following people for their significant contributions to this project:

  • Kate Finch and Naraja Clay, for their significant input in researching and drafting the resources
  • Simon Kneebone, for crafting the illustrations that have brought the resources to life
  • The Council for Intellectual Disability, NSW, for their expertise in developing Easy Read versions of the resources.
Illustration of large sign on a wall that says "An international human rights law: The convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment" with a squiggle at the bottom. Speech bubbles next to a person pointing to the sign say "Signed by the Australian Government" and "Yes!!".

We also thank the many individuals and organisations involved in focus testing these resources, and more broadly in championing OPCAT ratification and implementation in Australia, including Steven Caruana and Prisoners’ Legal Service. We acknowledge and thank the Australian Human Rights Commission and the Commonwealth Ombudsman for their collaborative support and consultation on this project.

QAI acknowledges and thanks Legal Aid Queensland for providing funding for this project as part of their Community Legal Education Strategy.

The resources are current as of September 2022.

Disability settings

This guide talks about the rights you have where you live.

This could be:

  • In your disability group home
  • In your aged care home

For people who find Word more accessible:

Poster – Word

Easy read checklist – Word

Detailed guide – Word

Justice settings

This guide talks about the rights you have when you are:

  • With police
  • In prison

For people who find Word more accessible:

Poster – Word

Easy read checklist – Word

Detailed guide – Word

Mental health settings

This guide talks about the rights you have when you are in a secure mental health setting, including hospital dementia wards.

For people who find Word more accessible:

Poster – Word

Easy read checklist – Word

Detailed guide – Word

Immigration detention settings

This guide talks about the rights you have when you are in immigration detention.

For people who find Word more accessible:

Poster – Word

Easy read checklist – Word

Detailed guide – Word

Youth justice settings

This guide talks about the rights young people have when you are:

  • With police
  • In youth detention

Launch of resources

These resources were launched during our Side Event to the United Nations 15th Conference of States Parties (CoSP) to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) called “Disability aware OPCAT monitoring: a COVID imperative“. 

The full recording of the event is available below.

You can download the slides from the launch presentation below.

Get in touch with us

If you have any questions or would like to find out more, contact us on (07) 3844 4200 or qai@qai.org.au or use the form below to send us a message.

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