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A man says he was unable to contribute to the federal government’s snap teen social media ban inquiry because the parliamentary committee did not respond to his request for accommodations for his disability.
Last Thursday, Labor referred its draft legislation to restrict children under the age of 16 from having social media accounts to the committee process.
In the day and a bit that submissions were open, the committee received around 15,000 submissions which fed into a three-hour hearing on Monday. On Tuesday night, the committee published a report which recommended passing the ban if eight other recommendations were incorporated into the bill.
Missing from the thousands of submissions was input from Oliver (pseudonym granted because he is not authorised by his employer to talk publicly), who had unsuccessfully requested a longer period to make a submission because of his neurodivergence.
“The parliamentary page for the public consultation said they valued inclusiveness and if anyone had accessibility issues to contact them,” he wrote to Crikey in a message.
On Friday, Oliver sent an email (seen by Crikey) to the address listed for the committee secretary for the Senate Standing Committees on Environment and Communications requesting an extension.
“I would like to make a submission opposing the proposed Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024,” he wrote. “I am neurodivergent and will need more than one day to formulate my response.”
Oliver says he never received a response from the committee’s secretariat (nor did Crikey) and subsequently was unable to make a submission.
“It is important to me that disability access is not just hypocritical window-dressing or empty words on a website. It needs to allow Australians with disabilities to meaningfully engage in the political process,” he told Crikey.
Groups representing young Australians with disabilities have raised concerns about the teen social media ban. A submission made by Children and Young People with Disability Australia to the inquiry said that social media was vital to some of the young Australians it represents, and that age assurance and verification technologies may act as hurdles to access.
Oliver said that he expected better from the government.
“Kids with disabilities are going to be affected by the proposed ban. We should be ensuring the government gets to hear from us.”
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