If a complainant is unable to access the consumer portal, representatives listed as the point of contact are expected to handle the exchange of all correspondence and documentation through the portal.
When a complaint is lodged, the representative and consumer have a separate, dedicated portal account to access information and documents. This means we require the complainant's email address upon lodgement.
If accessibility constraints apply, consumers and/or representatives can record this through a check box. This includes but is not limited to: domestic violence, chronic health condition, cognitive condition, financial abuse, hearing or speech condition, housing insecurity, impact by natural disaster.
Representatives can also record if a complainant requires translation services, and there is a free text field to describe any other accessibility requirements.
AFCA will contact the complainant or their representative to understand what support is required, and how we can best tailor our service to meet their needs.
Anyone needing help, or who is unable to access the consumer portal, can continue to lodge complaints by email or phone.
Accessibility features
For those able to access the internet, the consumer portal was developed in line with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to ensure it meets modern accessibility requirements, including:
- Sufficient colour contrast, legible text and icons
- All type sizes large enough to read content on small devices
- All buttons and links have appropriate surface area to make portal use easy (especially on touch devices)
- Access to translation and interpreter services including Auslan and TTY
- Selection of notification preferences (email or SMS)
- Ability to tick multiple options showing accessibility needs.
These accessibility features apply to all device types (mobile, tablets and computer).
