Letter Writing Resource
If you notice a government inquiry or discussion paper that is pertinant to students with disabilities, education or employment, in Australia or New Zealand, use the below as a draft and send your draft to answd-list@postoffice.utas.edu.au with the Subject: draft submission to (name of discussion paper or inquiry). If you have difficulties or you are not a member of answd-l email list, send it to convenor@answd.org
Dear (name of government minister/government department/inquiry)
Re: (name of discussion paper or inquiry)
date: (date of writing)The Australasian Network of Students With Disabilities (ANSWD) is a student organisation, advocating, promoting, lobbying and campaigning on disability issues. We seek to achieve equality, access, and representation of students with disabilities in the tertiary education sector. ANSWD acknowledges that those with disabilities are disabled, not so much by their individual (or multiple) impairments, but by the barriers put in place by society. ANSWD is a network of tertiary students with disabilities from each state of Australia and throughout New Zealand, who acknowledge the importance of widespread representation of students with disabilities in the tertiary sector. ANSWD understands accessibility as being the ability to access, utilise or participate independently of others, with safety and dignity.
In the following paragraphs, here are suggestions:
- thank the author or inquiry for allowing you to speak;
- start with positives;
- find problems or difficulties with their statement, idea, measure or proposal;
- suggest your solutions to such difficulties and say why they are needed;
End the draft with
Yours Faithfully
