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Diversity Issues Unit

The Diversity Issues Unit provides policy and strategic advice to the Justice portfolio ministers and the Secretary to the Department of Justice on issues concerning:

• women
• multiculturalism
• people with a disability.

The unit helps make the department more inclusive of people with a disability and people from diverse cultural backgrounds.

The Diversity Issues Unit is responsible for implementing two major Department of Justice plans:

• the Disability Action Plan 2005-08
• the Cultural Diversity Plan 2006-08.

Disability Action Plan 2005-08

The Disability Action Plan advances the department's commitment to human rights and to addressing issues of disadvantage in the justice system. To develop the plan, the Diversity Issues Unit collaborated with:

• people with a disability
• consumer and advocacy organisations representing the rights and interests of people with a disability
• the Disability Advisory Council of Victoria
• employees of the department who have a disability.

Cultural Diversity Plan

This plan outlines strategies to break down the barriers that culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities experience when accessing justice. The plan will improve access by increasing CALD community members' understanding of the legal system. The Diversity Issues Unit developed the plan in close consultation with key ethnic community groups and community leaders. The plan features:

• a scholarship program for a justice-related course targeting disadvantaged CALD youth
• a multilingual community education program focusing on rights and targeting newly arrived communities
• a Department of Justice Language Policy to be implemented through a targeted training program.

The plan also includes a Language Services Policy and Guidelines for Working with Interpreters and Translators. These key elements will help the department provide professional interpreting and translating services to people who have limited or no understanding of English, or who are hearing impaired.

Diversity Issues Unit annual forums

The Diversity Issues Unit runs forums every year, including:

• International Women's Day - 8 March
• Celebrate our Cultural Diversity Week - 17-23 March
• World Refugee Day - 20 June
• International Day of People with a Disability - 3 December.