Transport accessibility

Transport accessibility

Updated 17 May 2013

If you have, or are aware of, other resources which would be useful to include here, please let us know.

Standards and guidelines | Standards compliance reporting | Action plans | Decisions on complaints | Exemptions (general) | Speeches | Other Commission resources | Other resources | Trains | Trams | Aviation | Buses | Taxis

Standards and guidelines

• Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002
• The second five-year legislated review of the Transport Standards was released in 2015

Standards compliance reporting

Information from jurisdictions is available through the links below:

• Australian Capital Territory
• New South Wales
• Queensland
• South Australia
• Victoria and  
• Western Australia .

Action plans

See our action plans register for action plans developed by transport providers and authorities to achieve accessibility

Decisions on complaints

• Commission decisions to terminate complaints in public transport complaints under the D.D.A
• Conciliated outcomes in public transport complaints under the D.D.A.
• Federal Court decisions under the DDA
• Federal Magistrates Court decisions

Exemptions

Commission decisions on exemption applications are available on our exemptions page. These decisions and conditions imposed on exemptions granted have assisted in defining rights and responsibilities during the transition towards greater accessibility and promoted increased compliance. Some exemptions in specific areas are also listed below.

Speeches and papers

• Queensland Taxi Council forum
  Commissioner Innes, 12 September 2006, Toowoomba
• The disability standards for accessible public transport: where are we?
  Bus Industry Confederation conference, Canberra, 31 October 2006, Commissioner Innes
• Launch of Bus Industry Confederation accessibility guidelines
  Parliament House Canberra 5 November 2003
  Dr Sev Ozdowski OAM, Acting Disability Discrimination Commissioner
• DDA Transport Standards: the Commission'S Role: Graeme Innes, Bus Industry Confederation conference, Perth, April 2001
• Getting there: Speech by Chris Sidoti at TRANSED 98 conference

Other Commission resources

• Transport FAQ
• Standards FAQ

Other resources

• Queensland Transport accessibility page
• Victoria Companion Card
• VCOSS Accessible Public Transport Watch project
• Hearing Augmentation (MS Word) : A guide for meeting the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002 Prepared by the Accessible Public Transport National Advisory Committee
• UK Department of Transport accessibility page
• Canadian Government accessible transport page
• U.S. "project action" accessible transport homepage
• NZ inquiry on accessible transport : final report now available

Trains

• Exemption application: Australasian Railways Association
• Temporary exemption : Queensland Rail: TGSIs : see now also results of December 2002 national meeting
• Complaint decision: NSW CityRail station access
• Canadian Transport Agency decision on rail access
• Queensland Rail accessibility upgrade program
• CityRail accessibility page

Trams

Melbourne trams exemption

Note: This exemption was granted regarding section 24 of the DDA prior to the introduction of the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport. No application has yet been made to remake this exemption in relation to the Standards.

• First progress report on implementation of access commitments arising from the Commission's exemption process.
• Commission press release
• Melbourne trams exemption decision
• Reasons for decision
• Public submissions on exemption application
• Exemption application document

Aviation

• Aviation Access Working Group
• Access facilitation plans
• Access to Air Travel for Disabled Persons and Persons with Reduced Mobility – Code of Practice (PDF) : UK Department of Transport
• Decision on exemption application by Airnorth
• Decision on exemption application by Kendell Airlines
• Decision on exemption application by Regional Airlines Association of Australia
• Commission decision in Michael McLean v. Airlines of Tasmania Pty Ltd
• Statement on aviation access and standards (30.5.06)
• US National Council on Disability report Enforcing the Civil Rights of Air Travelers with Disabilities (February 1999)
• US DOT accessibility information
• Canadian Transport Agency guidelines on small aircraft

Buses

• Bus stop guidelines (HTML) or MS Word version
• BIC disability guidelines (PDF)
• NSW STA mobility aids policy
• Exemption decision: Olympic Roads and Transport Authority
• QADT decisions in Cairns bus case:
  • Harris and Pyne v Transit Australia Pty Ltd and Queensland Transport [1999] QADT 1 (25 February 1999)
  • Harris and Pyne v Transit Australia Pty Ltd [2000] QADT 6 (5 June 2000)
  • Harris and Pyne v Transit Australia Pty Ltd [2000] QADT 14 (17 October 2000)
• U.S. Department of Transportation rules on over the road buses
• Bus Industry Confederation site
• Greyhound accessibility information
• Speech by Commissioner Ozdowski at launch of bus industry access guidelines (5 November 2003); see also Attorney-General's press release

Taxis

• NSW Transport Wheelchair accessible taxis
• ACT Road Transport Authority Wheelchair accesible taxis
• Commission's Report on accessible taxis 2001
• Commission decision in Richard Adams v. Arizona Bay Pty. Ltd., Charlie Habib and Bunge Pty Ltd