Accessibility
Our commitment to accessibility
Our services are available to all people and we are committed to ensuring that we are accessible to everyone.
Need extra help with a complaint?
We try to make the process of communicating with us as easy as possible.
We realise some people may have barriers to communication. These barriers could include English as a second language, living with disability, individual communication needs, a person in a vulnerable or marginalised situation, or someone experiencing crisis.
If you need help to make a complaint, you can talk to us. Our staff will listen to you. We can give you advice about your complaint or problem and what you need to do next. For example, we can help you identify who your complaint is about and how to make a complaint. In most cases, we ask you to complain to the agency and give them a chance to fix the problem through their complaint handling process.
If it's easier, you can ask someone else to contact us for you. This could be a relative, friend, solicitor, case worker or anyone else. We will need to know that you agree to their help. This could be written consent and/or an explanation of your reasons.
Videos to explain our services
We have videos about what an ombudsman is, who we can assist and how and when we should be contacted.
These tips for effectively seeking help with your complaint have a focus on the needs of people with impaired capacity. The videos can be viewed in any order. It may be that someone only needs to view one or two to find the answers they are seeking.
Translating and Interpreting Service
Do you need an interpreter to talk with us? If you need help in your own language, contact the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 131 450 and tell them:
-
the language you speak
- our name - Queensland Ombudsman
-
our telephone number - (07) 3005 7000
TIS will arrange an interpreter so you can talk with us. This service is free to you. For more information, visit the TIS website.
Writing to us
You can write your complaint in your own language. We will arrange a translation of your complaint and respond to you in your requested language. This service is free to you.
National Relay Service
The National Relay Service (NRS) is a free phone service for people who are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment. To contact us using the NRS, choose a contact method from the following list and provide our phone number when asked (07 3005 7000):
For more information, visit the NRS website.
- If you are a carer, legal guardian, or acting on behalf of someone else, we can accept a complaint from you, with the complainant’s permission.
- Prisoners can make a complaint using the free and confidential Prisoner PhoneLink telephone service, in writing using a confidential blue envelope, or in person when we visit a correctional centre.
Web accessibility
We are committed to making this website accessible to as many people as possible. We aim to meet AA accessibility checkpoints defined in the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1.
WCAG 2.1 is a technical standard developed under the Web Accessibility Initiative of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
Compliance with web accessibility is an ongoing process which we are regularly working to improve. If you experience problems accessing any of the information on our site, please contact us and we will try our best to fix the problem or provide the information in an alternative format.
Listening to this website
You can listen to this website with ReachDeck.
What is ReachDeck?
ReachDeck makes websites accessible to those who require online reading support or to translate the site content into a language of their choice.
What does ReachDeck look like?
To activate, click on the ‘human’ icon within a red circle in the top right corner of the screen, or click on the ‘Listen and translate’ link in the top right menu. ReachDeck features and options are accessed from a toolbar at the top of the screen.
What will ReachDeck do for me?
- reads web pages aloud in a human-sounding voice (includes websites, intranets, extranets, html, accessible Flash, alt tags)
- reads secure web pages
- reads PDF and Word documents in their original format
- highlights each word as it is spoken to show you where you are on the page
- magnifies text to your chosen font size and font style
- translates word-for-word in 74 languages
- looks up accurate dictionary definitions
- converts text to MP3
- masks information on the screen to help you focus on a particular area
Who does ReachDeck help?
ReachDeck helps anyone who requires online reading support. This includes those with learning difficulties such as dyslexia, mild visual impairments and those with English as a second language. It works by reading web pages aloud in a human-sounding voice. The user simply hovers their mouse pointer over the text to hear it read aloud.
It is not designed as a screen reader for people with a severe visual impairment. If you need this technology, there are commercial products available, such as JAWS and NVDA.
PDF flyer for translated assistance to use ReachDeck
This flyer supports community members who use languages other than English to access information about how to make an effective complaint, and when to contact the Queensland Ombudsman. The initial range of languages is: Arabic, Cantonese, Dinka, Greek, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Mandarin, Polish, Punjabi, Sinhalese, Spanish, Vietnamese.