This explainer helps people in the disability community participate in the Australian Government’s ‘aviation disability standards’ consultation process.
People with disability face significant and regular barriers when travelling by air. Airport and airline services, policies and practices do not meet the needs of passengers with disability.
To address these longstanding issues, the Australian Government has drafted aviation disability standards (‘standards’) through a process of co-design with people with disability. They aim to remove discrimination and improve accessibility across all stages of air travel. The standards will apply throughout Australia, including for international flights to or from Australia.
Our explainer outlines the options being considered by the Government: regulatory reform (new laws the aviation industry must follow), non-regulatory reform (non-compulsory guidance for industry) and no change (status quo).
In engaging with the consultation, people should clearly indicate which option for reform they support. We support a regulatory approach across all areas covered by the consultation paper. Existing policies continue to harm people with disability and a non-regulatory approach would not provide people with disability with adequate legal protections.
This explainer breaks down each issue needing to be addressed, summarises the Government’s regulatory proposal, sets out our view (particularly if we think the proposal does not go far enough) and highlights key questions to provide feedback.
