ACA is the peak national body for access consultancy in Australia and a major partner in advancing equity of built environmental accessibility for all.
ACA is committed to compliance with the new privacy laws. These laws protect the privacy of personal information ACA holds on members, customers and other individuals we deal with.
ACA respects the privacy of our members or customers, the privacy of our business contacts and the privacy of our officers or agents of ACA.
If you would like more information about ACA handles personal information, you can obtain a copy of ACA Privacy Policy (set out below)
Privacy policy
ACA respects privacy and is committed to complying with the National Privacy Principles in the Privacy Act 1988. This website privacy policy explains how we handle information we collect online or otherwise.
For more information about how ACA handles personal information collected offline and information about how you can seek access to the personal information which ACA holds about you, please review ACA’s Privacy Statement and Privacy Policy
Our privacy policy is divided into the following sections:
A. What personal information does ACA collect?
B. How is personal information used?
C. Will personal information be given to anyone else?
D. Access and correction
E. Is personal information held safely?
F. Non-customer personal information
G. Eforum
H. Contacting ACA
I. Changes to this privacy policy
This privacy policy has been prepared primarily for our members or customers who may have questions about how we handle personal information. However, ACA also may handle information about people who are not customers, for example, through telephone enquiries, etc. See Non-customer personal information is discussed in Section f.
a. What personal information does ACA collect?
ACA request personal information from applicants for membership, such as contact details, postal/business addresses, work experience & proof of educational qualifications, membership fee payment details, etc. Other personal information from customers, like non-member delegates to conferences, etc., are also requested to provide contact details, postal/business addresses, Conference Registration Fee payment details, etc.
For the purposes of our Privacy Policy, membership, conference registrations and goods are referred to as “our products or services”.
In the case of anyone seeking information about ACA, ACA usually requires the name, title and contact details of a contact person in order to provide them with the information requested. However, ACA does not collect information it does not need.
Generally, ACA will not collect sensitive information about you (such as your race, political beliefs, religion or health). Should a member be subject to a complaint of professional negligence, misconduct or breach of ACA policies and procedures, we may collect sensitive information provided to us.
b. How is personal information used?
The personal information collected from you by ACA is used to provide you with our products or services or with other information you have requested. This will include the use of personal information for establishing and maintaining any necessary accounts or records or billing systems; and notify you about ACA membership renewals, Notice of Annual General Meeting, events such as Conferences or other products or services or promotions from time to time.
If at any time you no longer wish to be notified about ACA products or services or promotions, please let us know via email/or mail.
c. Will personal information be given to anyone else?
In the circumstances described below, personal information may be disclosed outside ACA.
(a) Outsourcing
Personal information collected by ACA may be disclosed to third parties to whom ACA contracts out specialised functions (that may include mailing houses and printing companies). If ACA does disclose personal information to third-party contractors under outsourcing or contracting arrangements, ACA takes steps to ensure that those contractors:
• Comply with the National Privacy Principles when they handle your personal information; and
• Are authorised only to use personal information to provide the services or perform the functions required by ACA.
(b) Disclosures required by law
For legal reasons, other disclosures may need to be made to law enforcement agencies, government agencies, courts or external advisers. For example, ACA may be asked to disclose certain personal information about an individual to assist the police with investigating criminal activities. ACA’s policy is to only make such disclosures in accordance with the Privacy Act.
ACA does not sell, rent or trade personal information to or with third parties.
d. Access and correction
Under the Privacy Act, you have a right to seek access to information that ACA holds about you (although there are some exceptions to this). You also have the right to ask us to correct information about you that is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date.
In most instances, unless you have requested otherwise, your details will be available on the website for public access. Members-only password access allows you to change your own contact details such as business, postal/business address, telephone, and mobile. Any variation in membership category or membership terms will require a written application to the Secretary for this to occur.
If you wish to exercise your right under the Privacy Act to seek access to the personal information that ACA holds about you, we ask that you contact the Secretary (contact details are set out in Section g below)
To summarise: in the first instance, the website generally provides you with a summary of the information we hold about you. We will assume (unless you tell us otherwise) that your request relates to our current records about you. These current records will include personal information about you, which is included in our databases and in any paper files which ACA may use on a day-to-day basis.
To provide you with access to this personal information, ACA would ordinarily provide you with a print-out of the relevant personal information from our databases or photocopies of records which are held only on paper files. If personal information about you (for example, your name & address details) is duplicated across different databases, we will generally provide you with one print-out of this information, rather than multiple print-outs. Ordinarily, ACA will not charge you for the cost of providing this type of access to these records.
For legal and administrative reasons, ACA may also store records containing personal information in its archives. You may seek access to the records held by ACA, which are not current records, but if you do so, we may charge you for the cost of providing access.
If you believe that personal information about you is not accurate, if you have online access privileges, you can update your own details or please contact the Secretary with your request for correction (contact details are set out in Section g below).
ACA’s policy is to consider any requests for correction in a timely way.
e. Is personal information stored safely?
ACA takes reasonable steps to ensure the security of personal information held by it from such risks as loss or unauthorised access, destruction, use, modification or disclosure. Our website operating systems are password protected, and if personal information is held on paper files, access is restricted to ACA staff with the appropriate security clearances. ACA only permits your details to be accessed by authorised personnel.
f. Non-customer information
Sometimes, ACA needs to collect personal information about individuals who are not members. This will usually arise when we collect the name and business contact details of a person who is the contact in a government agency or company with whom we deal or if you contact us by telephone, in writing, etc. ACA’s policy is to only use personal information collected from non-customers for the business purpose for which it was collected.
g. Eforum
The website Eforum is owned and operated by ACA for the exchange of information among members of the Association only. The Association reserves the right to take ownership of material circulated on the EForum to be used for the benefit of ALL members. Where appropriate, the Management Committee may use correspondence circulated to produce practice notes detailing “contemporary” practice by access consultants and derive “best” practice models suitable for training resources for members as part of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Program
ACA does not endorse nor verify the views, opinions or accuracy of information circulated for discussion on the EForum. The views expressed on the Eforum are those of the author(s), who take sole responsibility for the content and any consequence arising from any online discussion. The Association takes no responsibility for members;
-not disclosing the source of information that may be subject to copyright
-having second thoughts about sending an email for circulation on the Eforum
Members’ contact details are not to be distributed outside the Association unless advised by the member. ACA Eforum contributor is not to use other members’ contact details for onselling, marketing or any other purposes.
The Management Committee reserves the right to distribute contact details when it has been decided that this will benefit the technical knowledge and recognition of Access Consultants as professionals.
Contacting ACA
If you have any questions or comments about this privacy policy, or if you wish to complain about how we have handled personal information about you, please get in touch with the ACA Secretary by:
Telephone (03) 5221 2820
Facsimile (03) 5221 2820
E-mail [email protected]
or write to
The Office Administrator
20 Maud Street
Geelong VIC, 3220
i. Changes to this privacy policy
This privacy policy may change from time to time.
This policy was last updated on 28.4.2020 branding only.
Click to download the Privacy Policy