Letter to the Editor, Sydney Morning Herald: Travelling on public transport is a struggle for many people with a disability (“Blind rage over RailCorp’s silent stations”, May 16). The problem with the disability transport standards, which aim to make transport accessible, is that enforcement of the standards relies on individuals making complaints and going to court.
The Public Interest Advocacy Centre recently represented wheelchair user Greg Killeen (pictured) in a complaint about wheelchair-accessible taxis in NSW.
As no independent body monitors compliance with the standards, we rely on individual advocates like the Australian Disability Discrimination Commissioner, Graeme Innes, and Mr Killeen to bear the expense and burden of ensuring compliance.
It would be far better to empower the Australian Human Rights Commission to enforce the standards. This would bring it into line with other bodies, like the Fair Work Ombudsman, which monitors industry compliance with workplace laws.
Gemma Namey Solicitor, Public Interest Advocacy Centre, Sydney