Disability Advocacy Support Helpline
Support when you are treated unfairly
A text-only Easy Read version
Acknowledgement of Country
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are the First Peoples of Australia.
They have always looked after Country.
Country means the land, water, sky and everything within them.
We respect the important connection that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have with Country.
And we respect their Elders from the past and now.

How to use this guide
We are The Disability Advocacy Support Helpline.
We wrote this guide.
We wrote some words in bold.
We explain what these words mean.
There is also a list of these words on page 10.
You can ask someone you trust for support to:
	•	read this guide
	•	find more information.
This is an Easy Read summary of another guide.
It only includes the most important ideas.
You can find the other guide on our website.
www.advocacylaw.org.au/#helpline

What’s in this guide?
How to use this guide	
About The Helpline	
How The Helpline can support you	
How The Helpline works	
Your personal information	
How to contact The Helpline	
How to make a complaint	
Word list	

About The Helpline
The Disability Advocacy Support Helpline is a phone line that supports:
	•	people with disability
	•	families and carers
	•	support workers.
We call it The Helpline.
The Helpline is a free service.
You can contact The Helpline for support with one problem at a time.
The Helpline can’t help you with legal advice.
But they will try to connect you to a service that can help you, when possible.

How The Helpline can support you
The Helpline can support you with advocacy.
Advocacy is when someone:
	•	helps you have your say
	•	gives you information to help you make decisions.
The Helpline can support you to speak up for your rights.
Rights are rules about how people must treat you:
	•	fairly
	•	equally.
The Helpline can also teach you how to speak up for your rights.
Problems you can get support for
The Helpline can support you with problems about:
	•	housing
	•	school and learning
	•	transport
	•	health care.
The Helpline can also support you with problems about:
	•	money
	•	government services, like the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

How The Helpline works
The Helpline will ask you about:
	•	your problem
	•	what has happened so far
	•	the result you want. 
The Helpline might also tell you what you could do next to:
	•	make sure your voice is heard
	•	help you work towards the result you want.
The Helpline will ask for your consent before talking to anyone else about your problem.
Consent is when you say it is okay for someone to do something.
This includes people who support you.
For example, a family member or carer.
The Helpline will make sure you can take part in all conversations about your problem, even when someone else is supporting you.
The Helpline will make sure you decide what other people can know about your problem.
For 3 weeks , you can have up to 3 sessions for the same problem.
But this only includes up to 10 hours of support.
The Helpline will try to give you the same person to support you.

Your personal information
The Helpline collects information about everyone who uses the service.
Your information will be kept:
	•	safe
	•	private.
The Helpline collects information to keep a record of the work it has done.
This information is kept on a computer for 7 years .
 After 7 years your information might be deleted.

How to contact The Helpline 
You can call The Helpline through the Disability Gateway.
1800 643 787
You can call the Disability Gateway:
	•	Monday to Friday
	•	8 am to 8 pm.
Ask for the ‘Disability Advocacy Support Helpline’.
You can fill out a form on the Disability Gateway website to get support from The Helpline.
www.disabilitygateway.gov.au/contact-us-form
You can send us an email.
thehelpline@advocacylaw.org.au
Support to contact The Helpline
You can call the National Relay Service if you:
	•	are deaf or hard of hearing
	•	find it hard to speak using the phone.
You can choose different services on the National Relay Service website.
www.accesshub.gov.au/about-the-nrs#nrs-call-numbers-and-links
You can ask them to call the Disability Gateway.
1800 643 787
If you speak a language other than English, you can call the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National).
131 450
How to make a complaint
You can make a complaint if you’re not happy with The Helpline.
A complaint is when you tell someone that something:
	•	has gone wrong
	•	isn’t working well.
Making a complaint won’t affect:
	•	the problem you want to fix
	•	how we support you.
You can call us to make a complaint. 
(02) 4062 0772
You can email us your complaint.
thehelpline@advocacylaw.org.au
You can also write to us about your complaint.
Suite 1, Level 2, Devonshire House 408 King Street Newcastle West NSW 2302
You can contact the Complaints Resolution and Referral Service.
This is an organisation that:
	•	doesn’t work for us
	•	makes their own decisions.
You can call the Complaints Resolution and Referral Service.
1800 880 052

Word list
This list explains what the bold words in this guide mean.
Advocacy
Disability advocacy is when someone:
	•	helps you have your say
	•	gives you information to help you make decisions.
Complaint
A complaint is when you tell someone that something:
	•	has gone wrong
	•	isn’t working well.
Consent
Consent is when you say it is okay for someone to do something.
Rights
Rights are rules about how people must treat you:
	•	fairly
	•	equally.
The Information Access Group created this text-only Easy Read document. For any enquiries, please visit www.informationaccessgroup.com. Quote job number 6614.