Disability Rights Commissioner urges Parliamentary services to accommodate Deaf MP

The Human Rights Commission urges the Speaker and Parliamentary Services to find ways to ensure Green MP Mojo Mathers, who is deaf, can participate fully as a Member of Parliament.

Disability Rights Commissioner Paul Gibson said, “Parliament has a moral duty to show leadership in ensuring fair and equal access to and participation in the political process.”

He said elected representatives needed to both participate in Parliament and to be able to engage with and speak on behalf of their constituencies. This applied equally to all members of Parliament.

The Commission has not received a complaint about the issue from Ms Mathers today. Any such complaint would be assessed against the anti-discrimination provisions of the Human Rights Act. If the Commission accepted the complaint, it would offer to attempt to resolve the dispute.

 

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