We are Disability Commissioner Tasmania. Our first Commissioner Catherine Whitington was appointed on 12 May 2025. The Disability Rights, Inclusion and Safeguarding Act 2024 (the Act) came into effect on 1 July 2025.

While we are operational and taking reports, we are still working hard behind the scenes to get everything in place so we can deliver the best service possible. We are excited to work with you to make Tasmania a place that is safe and accessible for all Tasmanians with disability.

The role of the Disability Commissioner

The Disability Commissioner is independent. This means they use the Act to make their own decisions and lead their team without being directed by the government. It also means that when the Commissioner investigates, they do not take sides and they act in an impartial way.

The Commissioner will always be a person with disability. They bring lived experience, along with their professional knowledge to everything they do. This means they also live many of real-world challenges people with disability face in Tasmania and in Australia so they can always be a strong and informed voice for change.

Our approach

We follow the human rights model of disability as outlined in our Statement on Human Rights. This means we believe:

  • Everyone has equal rights: People with disability have the same rights as everyone else to live safely, freely, and with dignity.
  • Barriers – not disability—create exclusion:  The human rights model builds on the social model of disability. It recognises that people are often excluded not because of their disability, but because of barriers in society—like inaccessible environments, unhelpful attitudes, or rigid systems. Removing these barriers is essential to realising human rights.
  • Inclusion is a right, not a bonus: People with disability must be included in all areas of life—education, work, community, and decision-making. We can play sport, we can be artists and scientists, we work in many professions, we can be parents and we are loved by many people.
  • Safeguards matter: Keeping people with disability safe should never be the responsibility of a person with disability on their own. Communities and governments must work together to make sure safeguards exist.
  • Voices must be heard: People with disability should be involved in decisions that affect them including laws, policies, and services.
  • Laws must protect and promote rights: Tasmanian legislation makes these rights stronger in Tasmania by requiring inclusive planning, independent oversight, and protections against abuse.

Watch the Rights Under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (UNCRPD) video if you would like to know more about the human rights model of disability.