The Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002 are formulated by the Attorney-General under subsection 31 (1) of the Disability Discrimination Act 1992.
Disability Discrimination Act 1992
The Disability Discrimination Act 1992(the Act) is in place to eliminate discrimination against people with disability as far as possible, and to promote community acceptance of the principle that people with disability have the same fundamental rights as all members of the community. The Act provides that direct and indirect discrimination on the basis of disability is unlawful in a broad range of areas of public life, including and access to goods, services and facilities.
The Attorney-General may formulate standards, known as disability standards, in relation to any area in which it is unlawful for a person to discriminate against another person on the ground of a disability of the other person.
Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002
The Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002 (Transport Standards) provide requirements for public transport operators and providers to make their services accessible and remove discrimination against people with disability. The Transport Standards took effect on 23 October 2002.
The Transport Standards apply to train, tram, bus and coach, ferry, taxi and aviation services and are designed to provide certainty to providers and operators of public transport services and infrastructure about their responsibilities under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992.
The Transport Standards require all of Australia's public transport networks and associated infrastructure to be fully compliant by the end of 2022 (with the exception of trains and trams, which have until the end of 2032).
The Transport Standards are supported by the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport Guidelines 2004 and The Whole Journey Guide: A guide for thinking beyond compliance to create accessible public transport journeys. These supporting documents assist operators and providers with planning, designing, implementing and delivering accessibility and non-discriminatory public transport services.
The Australian Human Rights Commission (the Commission) has produced guidelines to provide clear and practical assistance to facilitate compliance with the Transport Standards through the use of equivalent access. Further information is available on the Commission's website.
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