If not delivered return to PO Box 7820 Canberra BC ACT 2610
26 September 2023
Our reference: LEX 76033
Renee
Only by email: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Dear Sir / Madam,
Acknowledgement and Request Consultation Notice
I refer to your request for access to documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982
(the FOI Act). You requested access to:
I want access to al documents and information, dating back to 2016, related to:
Inclusive Accessibility Measures for ALL types of disabilities, including but not limited
to neurodevelopmental disabilities and autism.
Communication, Language, Inclusion, and Accessibility Sensory-Appropriate Spaces
Face-to-Face Service Accessibility Cognitive and Intel ectual Disabilities Psychosocial
Disabilities Accommodations Targeted Measures for Direct Engagement with
disabled individuals, not just organizations claiming to represent them.
Accessibility Policies and Guidelines
Internal Processes for monitoring and improving accessibility
Thank you for revising your request on 25 September 2023, however currently your request
is stil too broad and does not sufficiently identify the documents you require.
If you decide not to provide further revise your request, I wil have to refuse your freedom of
information (FOI) request as a 'practical refusal reason' exists. For a more detailed
explanation of what this means, including some suggestions on what to consider when
revising your request, please see Attachment A.
How to send us a 'revised request'
Before I make a final decision on your request, you can submit a revised request.
Within the next 14 days (consultation period) you must do one of the fol owing, in writing:
withdraw the request
make a revised request, or
tel us you do not want to revise your request.
Your response wil be expected by 11 September 2023. If you do not contact us during the
consultation period, your matter wil be taken as withdrawn by operation of the FOI Act. See
Attachment A for relevant sections of the FOI Act.
If you decide to make a revised request you should be specific about what documents you
actual y want. This could help the Agency find the documents.
PAGE 1 OF 6
Note: You may want to access the Agency's online services at www.servicesaustralia.gov.au
to immediately find some of the personal information and documents included in your original
request.
We have 30 days to give you a decision about your request, however the time taken to
consult with you now is not included in this 30 day time period.
Contact officer
I am the contact officer for your request. During the consultation period you are welcome to
ask for my help in revising your request. You can contact me:
in writing to the address at the top of this letter, or
via email to xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Note: When you contact us please quote the reference number FOI LEX 76033.
Further assistance
If you have any questions please email xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Yours sincerely,
Elizabeth
FOI Practitioner
Freedom of Information Team
FOI and Ombudsman Branch | Legal Services Division
Services Australia
PAGE 2 OF 6
Attachment A
What I took into account
You requested access under the FOI Act to the fol owing documents:
I am writing to submit a formal Freedom of Information (FOI) request under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 for access to documents and information related to
measures taken to ensure accessibility to your services, both in person and online,
for people with disabilities.
I am specifical y interested in obtaining any information, documents, and data
pertaining to the fol owing areas:
1. Inclusive Accessibility Measures: Any policies, guidelines, or initiatives
implemented to enhance accessibility for individuals with disabilities, including but not
limited to those with physical, sensory, cognitive, intel ectual, and psychosocial
disabilities.
2. Communication and Language, Inclusion and Accessibility: Information regarding
inclusive communication supports, inclusive language accessibility, and inclusive
accommodations provided to ALL individuals with disabilities, whether they are
nonverbal or have other unique ways of communicating, including neurodivergent and
autistic individuals who may require in-person communication.
3. Sensory-Appropriate Spaces: Details on the creation and maintenance of sensory-
appropriate spaces to accommodate neurodivergent individuals and those with
sensory sensitivities.
4. Face-to-Face Service Accessibility: Information on access to face-to-face services
for individuals who require in-person communication for accessibility purposes with
your agency.
5. Cognitive and Intel ectual Disabilities: Any measures taken to address the needs of
individuals with cognitive and intel ectual disabilities to ensure they can access and
benefit from your services.
6. Psychosocial Disabilities: Policies and practices related to the inclusion and
support of individuals with psychosocial disabilities to promote their participation in
your programs and services.
7. Accommodations: Details on accommodations that have been made for individuals
with disabilities to access your services effectively.
8. Targeted Measures for Direct Engagement: Details about any targeted measures
or initiatives undertaken to directly engage with individuals with disabilities (not just
organizations representing them) to assess their needs and preferences, as wel as
ways to provide them with opportunities to participate and provide feedback.
PAGE 3 OF 6
9. Accessibility Policies and Guidelines: Copies of internal accessibility policies,
guidelines, or procedures, as wel as any relevant training materials for staff and
service providers.
10. Internal Processes: Information on the internal processes and mechanisms in
place to monitor and improve accessibility, including any data or reports related to
accessibility outcomes.
I kindly request a copy of al relevant documents, reports, policies, emails, meeting
minutes, and any other materials that pertain to the above topics. Please provide the
most recent and up-to-date information available as wel as any other older
documents or information. As far back as possible.
Additional y, I request any other relevant documents or information relating to this
topic that may be of interest. Please provide information in any form it is available,
whether written by hand, in a document, memo, note, PDF file, MP3, MP4, or any
other type of file or document. Please include any data or reports that may be
relevant.
On 22 September 2023, I formal y consulted with you under section 24AB. You responded
on 24 September 2023 and declined to revise your request. I then consulted with you
informal y on 25 September 2023 and advised you that if you do not revise your request, a
‘practical refusal reason’ may exist. On that same day, you revised your request.
Your revised request is:
I want access to al documents and information, dating back to 2016, related to:
Inclusive Accessibility Measures for ALL types of disabilities, including but not limited
to neurodevelopmental disabilities and autism.
Communication, Language, Inclusion, and Accessibility Sensory-Appropriate Spaces
Face-to-Face Service Accessibility Cognitive and Intel ectual Disabilities Psychosocial
Disabilities Accommodations Targeted Measures for Direct Engagement with
disabled individuals, not just organizations claiming to represent them.
Accessibility Policies and Guidelines
Internal Processes for monitoring and improving accessibility
As your request currently stands, I am unable to identify some of the documents fal ing within
the scope of your request and am therefore unable to process your request. In your request,
you have referred to ‘information’. Under the FOI Act, applicants can request access to
specific documents an agency holds. Requests for ‘information’ are more general in nature
and are unable to be processed under the FOI Act. Accordingly, you may wish to remove this
wording from your request and identify the specific documents you wish to access.
Furthermore, a request for ‘al documents’ is very broad and potential y covers a wide range
of documents that you may or may not be seeking, and additional y, may make your request
voluminous.
Considering this, and the information you have provided on 24 and 25 September 2023, I
propose the fol owing scope:
PAGE 4 OF 6
From 2016 to the date of my FOI request I seek policies or guidelines held by
Services Australia, relating to the fol owing;
1. Inclusive Accessibility Measures relating to disability, including but not limited to
neurodevelopmental disabilities and autism
2. Sensory-Appropriate Spaces in Customer Service Centres
3. Communication and Language Accessibility for customers
4. Face-to-Face service accessibility for cognitive and intel ectual disabilities, and
psychosocial disabilities
5. Accommodations and targeted measures for direct engagement with disabled
individuals directly, not through representative organisations
6. Internal processes for monitoring and improving accessibility.
In proposing the above scope, I have attempted to use your own words whilst stil breaking
down the request. I have also used specific language to enable it to be processed. I have
also removed the portion of your request for general “accessibility policies and guidelines” as
I believe these documents would be covered by point 1 of the proposed scope.
You may proceed with my proposed scope or choose to propose your own. If you propose
your own, please consider the language used and avoid general words such as ‘information’
and ‘al documents’.
If you do not revise your request, I intend to refuse your FOI request as a 'practical refusal
reason' exists under sections 24AA(1)(b) and 24 of the FOI Act. Under the FOI Act, the
practical refusal reason is your request does not satisfy the requirements in section 15(2)(b)
of the FOI Act (identification of documents).
Relevant sections of the Freedom of Information Act 1982
Section 24AA(1)(b) of the FOI Act provides a practical refusal reason exists in relation to a
request for a document if the request does not satisfy the requirement in section 15(2)(b) of
the FOI Act.
Section 15(2)(b) of the FOI Act provides a request must provide such information as is
reasonably necessary to enable the Agency to identify the documents are being requested.
Section 24AB(6) provides the applicant must, before the end of the consultation period, do
one of the fol owing, by written notice to the Agency:
withdraw the request
make a revised request, or
indicate that the applicant does not wish to revise the request.
Section 24AB(7) of the FOI Act provides the request is taken to have been withdrawn at the
end of the consultation period if:
the applicant does not consult the contact person during the consultation period in
accordance with the notice, or
PAGE 5 OF 6
the applicant does not do one of the things mentioned in subsection (6) before the
end of the consultation period.
PAGE 6 OF 6
