After three days in the
Federal Magistrates Court, Graeme Innes’ disability discrimination claim
against RailCorp remains unresolved.
Federal Magistrate
Kenneth Raphael has adjourned the case until 22 November 2012, and ordered the
matter to be further mediated by a registrar of the court.
The Public Interest
Advocacy Centre (PIAC) is representing Mr Innes (pictured), who claims RailCorp’s failure
to provide audible ‘next stop’ announcements on trains makes it impossible for
him to travel safely and with dignity.
Mr Innes and other
public transport passenegers who are blind rely on audible train announcements
to tell them where they are. PIAC and Mr Innes allege that RailCorp’s failure
to make these announcements breaches Federal disability discrimination law.
‘Graeme has always been
keen to reach a compromise with RailCorp, and he remains willing to work with
RailCorp to reach a practical outcome that complies with anti-discrimination
law,’ said PIAC chief executive, Edward Santow.
Meanwhile, the
difficulties Mr Innes and other blind travellers experience on CityRail continue.
Mr Innes today lodged another complaint with the Australian Human Rights
Commission after catching a train this morning with no audible announcements on-board. That
makes more than 65 complaints, and counting.
Read more on this story:
‘All I’m asking is for Railcorp to tell me where I am’, 13 August 2012
RailCorp in court over ‘inaudible’ announcements, smh.com.au, 13 August 2012
Train guards to get lessons on clear speech, ABC Radio 27 August 2012