Letter to The Age regarding 'Plan to overhaul city's transport network' - Disability discrimination

23/06/2005

by Helen Szoke
Chief Executive
Equal Opportunity Commission Victoria
01June 2005

Any improvements to Melbourne’s transport network (Plan to overhaul city’s transport network, The Age 1-6-05) must take into consideration the rights of people with a disability to equal access. That includes a fair allocation of resources to allow access to public transport, multipurpose taxis and disabled parking spaces.

Almost 20% of people in the community have a disability.

If we include just one carer supporting each of these people we are talking about 40% of the population directly affected by disability.

This is a significant segment of the community which public transport providers are obliged to service under national standards. Under the State Equal Opportunity Act it is against the law to discriminate against someone because of their disability in the provision of a service.

We need to remember that people with disabilities have the same rights as everyone else including access to public spaces and public transport.

Anything short of ensuring those rights can be met will mean we can not legitimately lay claim to being a ‘liveable’ city.