How transport systems 'fail' Australians with disabilities.
Feb 25, 2024 8:33:14 GMT 7
Denis-NFA likes this
Post by bear on Feb 25, 2024 8:33:14 GMT 7
These horror stories show how transport systems 'fail' Australians with disabilities.
People with disability have been contacting the ABC in droves with transport horror stories.
Most Australians don't have to think twice about getting from A to B.
Rarely does anything go wrong en-route, either.
But for people with disability, not only does just getting to work or picking up medication from the pharmacy require meticulous planning, things routinely go wrong.
The ABC has heard hundreds of stories from Australians with disability who shared their experiences using transport across the country.
They say regardless of the type of disability, the mode of transport, or where they live, there are plenty of barriers — creating frustration, danger and extra costs for people simply trying to go about their lives.
These are some of their stories.
Stranded alone on a plane for hours
Neal Furze became a quadruple amputee after contracting meningococcal six years ago.
Since then, the 65-year-old wheelchair user, who lives in the regional Victorian town of Riddells Creek, has had difficulties using trains, trams, buses and planes.
One of the more frustrating incidents occurred on an overseas trip last year.
A middle aged white man with grey hair sitting in a wheelchair out the front of a farm house
As Neal and his family were about to land at a Malaysian airport, he was told the only way off the small plane would be via stairs.
More than half an hour after the other passengers had left, he was carried off the plane by "three beefy blokes".
When returning home, Neal's plane failed to secure a gate at Melbourne Airport, forcing everyone on board to disembark via the stairs.
Again, the family was forced to stay on the plane after the passengers and crew had left.
This time, with Australian safety laws preventing staff from carrying Neal off the much-larger jet, the family was left in the cabin for two hours.
Cleaners came and left as the family sat frustrated on the tarmac, waiting for a solution to be found.
"The poor people working there ... were embarrassed," Neal said.
"But I was pretty disappointed in the administration. For God's sake, they should have done something quicker."
Eventually, the family left the plane via a scissor lift.
When they finally got to baggage claim, they were horrified to see the $5,000 wheelchair Neal had checked as luggage was dumped on the floor in the middle of the room.
Neal's wife Kristine Rawlinson said the ordeal was made worse by the fact they spent a lot of time, energy and extra money before the trip to make sure everything went smoothly.
She said the family didn't just feel like "an afterthought" to the airport — "there was no thought" at all.
"We go out of our way to do our due diligence to make sure things are as organised as possible ... and all we really expect is to consider us," she said.
Neal said people with disability should be able to travel on any form of transport without stress.
In a statement, a Melbourne Airport spokesperson acknowledged accessibility improvements could be made.
They said infrastructure upgrades, including adult change facilities and service animal relief areas, were being made to bring the airport "into line with modern-day standards and expectations".
"All the projects we're currently undertaking or considering have disability access consultants involved at all stages to ensure we're meeting the needs of travellers with different needs," they added.
Nineteen Ubers denied because of guide dog
Scott Grimley got his guide dog Dudley so he could be independent.
But the Canberra man, who is blind, feels anything but when trying to book an Uber.
Scott said he and Dudley were continually refused bookings, including 19 across a single year.
"You start thinking, 'why did I get my guide dog to give me this independence if Uber drivers ... are refusing to pick us up?'." Scott said.
"You start to think that society doesn't want you."
A white man with short brown hair standing on the side of a road with a black guide dog
The 52-year-old, who has lost his vision progressively over time, always lets drivers know Dudley will be travelling with him when he makes a booking.
Often, as soon as he does, the trips are rejected. That's despite state and federal law, as well as Uber's own policies, prohibiting drivers from denying service to people with assistance animals.
On one occasion, Scott was trying to get to an event about accessibility and had four Ubers reject him in 30 minutes.
"It makes life hard when you're trying to organise things and you have to factor in an extra hour just to get somewhere in case you get refused," he said.
A white man with short brown hair walking across a busy road with a black guide dog
Scott said he thought drivers were worried about dogs shedding fur in their cars.
He wants better education for drivers about the training the animals receive to become guide dogs and the fact refusing to accept them is illegal.
"If they can take a drunk on a Saturday night, why can't they take a guide dog on the floor of their car any other time?" he said.
Scott has made several complaints to the Human Rights Commission and to Uber, but feels like he's not getting through.
In a statement, an Uber spokesperson said, "the distress of being refused service because of a service animal" was not something the company took lightly.
"For many years now we have educated driver-partners about their legal obligations around service animals when they sign up to drive with the Uber app, through specific education modules, and then on a regular, ongoing basis."
Uber's Service Assistance Program, which allows riders with assistance animals to voluntarily opt-in to features aiming to improve their experience on the platform, will evolve over time following feedback from the disability community, the spokesperson added.
Sitting on the bus floor, 'being judged'
Kerry-Ann Tape is autistic and lives with several fatigue and pain conditions. It means leaving her apartment complex, let alone using public transport, takes a herculean effort.
Kerry-Ann — who works at the ABC as a digital archivist — lives in an area of Western Sydney where buses are the primary mode of public transport, and said she's felt dehumanised trying to use them.
The 31-year-old said buses hadn't stopped for her on multiple occasions while waiting with her heavy walking frame.
Kerry-Ann said her disabilities prevent her from being able to lift the frame onto the bus if the driver doesn't get the ramp out for her. They also make it difficult for her to stand up for herself verbally.
She said sometimes when buses do stop a driver will refuse to bring the ramp out or not realise she's trying to get on and "just drive off".
Kerry-Ann said because her disabilities are invisible and she looks young, she's often unable to get a seat on the bus.
She said she's been harassed for sitting in an accessible seat, even when she's had mobility aids and a hidden disability sunflower lanyard with her.
"[When I can't get a seat] I have to get out and wait for another bus, or just sit on the floor and be judged.
"I can't stand for longer than two minutes unaided. [It] is not a medical option for me."
A young woman in a colourful dress sitting at a bus stop. She has dark brown hair and glasses
Kerry-Ann said she rarely travels alone on public transport anymore because when she did incidents happened "at least once a week".
"When I have been going out recently with my walking frame, I've now had to ensure that someone else comes to ... help me get on and off the bus," she said.
"It makes me feel like I'm a burden."
Kerry-Ann would like to see more disability awareness, both from transport staff and commuters, so people like her don't have to advocate so hard "for something so basic".
A Transport for NSW spokesperson said all Greater Sydney bus contractors must follow a disability engagement plan which included disability awareness training for frontline staff.
The 2023-24 NSW state budget allocated $800.7m over four years to accelerate transport accessibility, including bus stops, the spokesperson said.
Transport for NSW is currently developing a new disability inclusion plan that aims to "set the vision for a transport system with equal access for everyone", they added.
Systems 'fail' people with disability
Richard Witbreuk, chair of the National Inclusive Transport Advocacy Network, said Australia's "half baked" transport systems "fail" people with disability, and the laws created to protect them were not enforced enough.
Responsibility for public transport sits with state and territory governments, though the federal government sets accessibility legislation for them to follow. Individual operators then develop their own policies around those laws.
The most recent review of the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport, which require providers to make their services accessible and remove discrimination, is currently being considered by ministers.
All levels of government also hold functions relevant to air travel, and a review of the policies that guide the aviation sector is set to be released later this year.
Federal transport minister Catherine King said there had been major investment in accessible transport in recent years, but the government was aware people with disability still encountered many issues.
"The Australian government is committed to further removing discrimination against people with disability in accessing public transport, from buses to planes to taxis," she said in a statement.
"The government is committed to listening to the experiences of people with disability and continuing to work with the public transport industry and other levels of government, to ... further tackle discrimination and improve accessibility."
Ultimately, Mr Witbreuk said all governments and transport operators needed to step up and improve experiences for people with disability.
"If these standards aren't complied with and not enforced, what's the point of having them?"
WATCH
Duration: 4 minutes 16 seconds4m 16s
Related Stories
Rachael goes everywhere with her assistance dog, but Qantas wouldn't let him on board
A young white woman sitting with her service dog in a park. The dog is a border collie and they are both smiling
This sunflower is popping up in public places across the world. This is what it means and what to do if you see it
A young white woman with long brown hair standing int he street. She's holding a bright green lanyard with sunflowers on it
Legally blind woman left anxious and in tears after rideshare drivers refuse to pick her up 23 times in six weeks
A woman with a crutch and guide dog stands outside a suburban street.
Australia misses 20-year target to make all train stations accessible, so Sarah-Jane has to 'get creative'
Woman in a wheelchair looks up at a set of concrete stairs at a train station
More on:
AIR TRANSPORT INDUSTRYAUSTRALIABUSESCANBERRADISABILITIESPUBLIC TRANSPORTRIDDELLS CREEKSYDNEYTRAINS
www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-24/disability-transport-horror-stories/103073092
People with disability have been contacting the ABC in droves with transport horror stories.
Most Australians don't have to think twice about getting from A to B.
Rarely does anything go wrong en-route, either.
But for people with disability, not only does just getting to work or picking up medication from the pharmacy require meticulous planning, things routinely go wrong.
The ABC has heard hundreds of stories from Australians with disability who shared their experiences using transport across the country.
They say regardless of the type of disability, the mode of transport, or where they live, there are plenty of barriers — creating frustration, danger and extra costs for people simply trying to go about their lives.
These are some of their stories.
Stranded alone on a plane for hours
Neal Furze became a quadruple amputee after contracting meningococcal six years ago.
Since then, the 65-year-old wheelchair user, who lives in the regional Victorian town of Riddells Creek, has had difficulties using trains, trams, buses and planes.
One of the more frustrating incidents occurred on an overseas trip last year.
A middle aged white man with grey hair sitting in a wheelchair out the front of a farm house
As Neal and his family were about to land at a Malaysian airport, he was told the only way off the small plane would be via stairs.
More than half an hour after the other passengers had left, he was carried off the plane by "three beefy blokes".
When returning home, Neal's plane failed to secure a gate at Melbourne Airport, forcing everyone on board to disembark via the stairs.
Again, the family was forced to stay on the plane after the passengers and crew had left.
This time, with Australian safety laws preventing staff from carrying Neal off the much-larger jet, the family was left in the cabin for two hours.
Cleaners came and left as the family sat frustrated on the tarmac, waiting for a solution to be found.
"The poor people working there ... were embarrassed," Neal said.
"But I was pretty disappointed in the administration. For God's sake, they should have done something quicker."
Eventually, the family left the plane via a scissor lift.
When they finally got to baggage claim, they were horrified to see the $5,000 wheelchair Neal had checked as luggage was dumped on the floor in the middle of the room.
Neal's wife Kristine Rawlinson said the ordeal was made worse by the fact they spent a lot of time, energy and extra money before the trip to make sure everything went smoothly.
She said the family didn't just feel like "an afterthought" to the airport — "there was no thought" at all.
"We go out of our way to do our due diligence to make sure things are as organised as possible ... and all we really expect is to consider us," she said.
Neal said people with disability should be able to travel on any form of transport without stress.
In a statement, a Melbourne Airport spokesperson acknowledged accessibility improvements could be made.
They said infrastructure upgrades, including adult change facilities and service animal relief areas, were being made to bring the airport "into line with modern-day standards and expectations".
"All the projects we're currently undertaking or considering have disability access consultants involved at all stages to ensure we're meeting the needs of travellers with different needs," they added.
Nineteen Ubers denied because of guide dog
Scott Grimley got his guide dog Dudley so he could be independent.
But the Canberra man, who is blind, feels anything but when trying to book an Uber.
Scott said he and Dudley were continually refused bookings, including 19 across a single year.
"You start thinking, 'why did I get my guide dog to give me this independence if Uber drivers ... are refusing to pick us up?'." Scott said.
"You start to think that society doesn't want you."
A white man with short brown hair standing on the side of a road with a black guide dog
The 52-year-old, who has lost his vision progressively over time, always lets drivers know Dudley will be travelling with him when he makes a booking.
Often, as soon as he does, the trips are rejected. That's despite state and federal law, as well as Uber's own policies, prohibiting drivers from denying service to people with assistance animals.
On one occasion, Scott was trying to get to an event about accessibility and had four Ubers reject him in 30 minutes.
"It makes life hard when you're trying to organise things and you have to factor in an extra hour just to get somewhere in case you get refused," he said.
A white man with short brown hair walking across a busy road with a black guide dog
Scott said he thought drivers were worried about dogs shedding fur in their cars.
He wants better education for drivers about the training the animals receive to become guide dogs and the fact refusing to accept them is illegal.
"If they can take a drunk on a Saturday night, why can't they take a guide dog on the floor of their car any other time?" he said.
Scott has made several complaints to the Human Rights Commission and to Uber, but feels like he's not getting through.
In a statement, an Uber spokesperson said, "the distress of being refused service because of a service animal" was not something the company took lightly.
"For many years now we have educated driver-partners about their legal obligations around service animals when they sign up to drive with the Uber app, through specific education modules, and then on a regular, ongoing basis."
Uber's Service Assistance Program, which allows riders with assistance animals to voluntarily opt-in to features aiming to improve their experience on the platform, will evolve over time following feedback from the disability community, the spokesperson added.
Sitting on the bus floor, 'being judged'
Kerry-Ann Tape is autistic and lives with several fatigue and pain conditions. It means leaving her apartment complex, let alone using public transport, takes a herculean effort.
Kerry-Ann — who works at the ABC as a digital archivist — lives in an area of Western Sydney where buses are the primary mode of public transport, and said she's felt dehumanised trying to use them.
The 31-year-old said buses hadn't stopped for her on multiple occasions while waiting with her heavy walking frame.
Kerry-Ann said her disabilities prevent her from being able to lift the frame onto the bus if the driver doesn't get the ramp out for her. They also make it difficult for her to stand up for herself verbally.
She said sometimes when buses do stop a driver will refuse to bring the ramp out or not realise she's trying to get on and "just drive off".
Kerry-Ann said because her disabilities are invisible and she looks young, she's often unable to get a seat on the bus.
She said she's been harassed for sitting in an accessible seat, even when she's had mobility aids and a hidden disability sunflower lanyard with her.
"[When I can't get a seat] I have to get out and wait for another bus, or just sit on the floor and be judged.
"I can't stand for longer than two minutes unaided. [It] is not a medical option for me."
A young woman in a colourful dress sitting at a bus stop. She has dark brown hair and glasses
Kerry-Ann said she rarely travels alone on public transport anymore because when she did incidents happened "at least once a week".
"When I have been going out recently with my walking frame, I've now had to ensure that someone else comes to ... help me get on and off the bus," she said.
"It makes me feel like I'm a burden."
Kerry-Ann would like to see more disability awareness, both from transport staff and commuters, so people like her don't have to advocate so hard "for something so basic".
A Transport for NSW spokesperson said all Greater Sydney bus contractors must follow a disability engagement plan which included disability awareness training for frontline staff.
The 2023-24 NSW state budget allocated $800.7m over four years to accelerate transport accessibility, including bus stops, the spokesperson said.
Transport for NSW is currently developing a new disability inclusion plan that aims to "set the vision for a transport system with equal access for everyone", they added.
Systems 'fail' people with disability
Richard Witbreuk, chair of the National Inclusive Transport Advocacy Network, said Australia's "half baked" transport systems "fail" people with disability, and the laws created to protect them were not enforced enough.
Responsibility for public transport sits with state and territory governments, though the federal government sets accessibility legislation for them to follow. Individual operators then develop their own policies around those laws.
The most recent review of the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport, which require providers to make their services accessible and remove discrimination, is currently being considered by ministers.
All levels of government also hold functions relevant to air travel, and a review of the policies that guide the aviation sector is set to be released later this year.
Federal transport minister Catherine King said there had been major investment in accessible transport in recent years, but the government was aware people with disability still encountered many issues.
"The Australian government is committed to further removing discrimination against people with disability in accessing public transport, from buses to planes to taxis," she said in a statement.
"The government is committed to listening to the experiences of people with disability and continuing to work with the public transport industry and other levels of government, to ... further tackle discrimination and improve accessibility."
Ultimately, Mr Witbreuk said all governments and transport operators needed to step up and improve experiences for people with disability.
"If these standards aren't complied with and not enforced, what's the point of having them?"
WATCH
Duration: 4 minutes 16 seconds4m 16s
Related Stories
Rachael goes everywhere with her assistance dog, but Qantas wouldn't let him on board
A young white woman sitting with her service dog in a park. The dog is a border collie and they are both smiling
This sunflower is popping up in public places across the world. This is what it means and what to do if you see it
A young white woman with long brown hair standing int he street. She's holding a bright green lanyard with sunflowers on it
Legally blind woman left anxious and in tears after rideshare drivers refuse to pick her up 23 times in six weeks
A woman with a crutch and guide dog stands outside a suburban street.
Australia misses 20-year target to make all train stations accessible, so Sarah-Jane has to 'get creative'
Woman in a wheelchair looks up at a set of concrete stairs at a train station
More on:
AIR TRANSPORT INDUSTRYAUSTRALIABUSESCANBERRADISABILITIESPUBLIC TRANSPORTRIDDELLS CREEKSYDNEYTRAINS
www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-24/disability-transport-horror-stories/103073092
