The Intellectual Disability Rights Service

On this page, you can read about:

What is the Intellectual Disability Rights Service?

idrs lOGO
  • The Intellectual Disability Rights Service (IDRS) is a community legal center
  • IDRS work to help people with intellectual disability
  • You can read below about how we can help you...

What does IDRS do?

Person on the phone Person on the phone Confusing sign-post, need to ring IDRS Man smiling
  • IDRS give free legal advice
  • You need to call us and make a booking to get legal advice
  • Bookings are between 2:00PM to 5:00PM Monday to Friday
  • Our phone number is (02) 9318 0144
  • Not in Sydney? Then call us on1800 666 611 (Free)
  • Our advice is for people with intellectual disability
  • We also give legal advice to people calling for you.
    But, we need you to tell us it is okay to talk to them about your legal problem
  • We can give legal advice over the phone
  • You can also come to our Redfern office to get legal advice
  • Our address is:
    Suite 2C, 199 Regent Street, Redfern
    NSW 2016
  • If you need to send something to us, please use this address: PO Box 3347, Redfern, NSW 2016
  • If we can't help you, we will try to find someone who can

Support at court (criminal matters)

Picture of a court house sign Picture of justice scales and a gavel Picture of a court room Picture of a man explaining document to another man
  • The Criminal Justice Support Network (CJSN) support people going to court.
  • CJSN will only support if it is a criminal case
  • CJSN can support
    • people accused of a crime
    • people who saw a crime happen
    • victims of crime
  • You can contact CJSN Monday to Friday, 9:00AM to 5:00PM on:
    • Sydney (02) 9318 0144
    • Hunter (02) 4926 5643
    • Illawarra / Shoalhaven (02) 4228 4040
    • All other areas of NSW 1800 666 611
  • CJSN can also support at:
    • meetings with lawyers
    • youth justice conferences
    • adult conferences
    • mediation
    • forum sentencing
  • find out more by calling us on (02) 9318 0144

If the police want to arrest you...

Picture of a man under arrest with handcuffs Man under srrest telling the police he can't understand the caution Man under srrest asking for a support person
  • Stay calm, don't get angry
  • Go with the police
  • Tell the police you have a disability
  • You don't have to answer any questions
  • Ask for a support person
  • Ask for legal advice
  • Contact the Criminal Justice Support Network (CJSN) for support and legal advice
  • Ask the police to call CJSN on 1300 665 908
  • This number is available day or night, 7 days a week to get support at police stations.
  • If you need to contact CJSN for any other reason, you have to call (02) 9318 0144 during office hours.

If you need to talk the police...

Police signpost NSW police officer talking to a woman and a child NSW police officers talking to an elderly woman
  • If you have seen a crime or if you are a victim of a crime, you may need to talk to the police
  • Contact the Criminal Justice Support Network (CJSN) for help and support
  • You can contact CJSN Monday to Friday, 9:00AM to 5:00PM on:
    • Sydney (02) 9318 0144
    • Hunter (02) 4926 5643
    • Illawarra / Shoalhaven (02) 4228 4040
    • All other areas of NSW 1800 666 611
  • CJSN can organise a support person to go with you
  • If you need to talk to a lawyer first, CJSN can also organise free legal advice

Support for parents with intellectual disability with child protection issues

Pregnent woman and a woman looking worried and troubled Mother with newborn baby Worried mother with smiling child
  • Are you a parent or about to become a parent?
  • Do you have an intellectual disability?
  • Do you have to go to court for a care and protection matter, or has Family and Community Services contacted you?

We can help...

Call us on (02) 9318 0144

If you are not in Sydney, please call us on 1800 666 611 (free)

We can:

  • go to court with you
  • go with you to meetings with Family and Community Services
  • find an advocate or support person for you
  • give you legal advice

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