Hearing Association - Land Transport Inquiry

Hearing Association Media Statement - Land Transport Inquiry Report

October 26, 2005

Things as basic as knowing the cost of a fare, how long a journey takes, or whether the bus route passes a particular destination are critical to making a journey on public transport accessible to people with hearing disabilities.

These are among a raft of issues examined by the Human Rights Commission inquiry into accessible public land transport, and the Hearing Association supports the findings of the inquiry, released today.

"We rely on our hearing for so much of the information we need in making a journey on public transport," Hearing Association president Dick Earle said today.

"Public address announcements at rail and bus stations are a real minefield for those with hearing loss - knowing a service has been switched to a different platform, or the departure time has been changed.

"Getting information from bus drivers and train conductors in noisy backgrounds is essential for every one of us, but hardest for people with a hearing loss.

"When people think of disabilities in relation to public transport, they seldom think of the impact of hearing disabilities and one of the fundamentals of travel - getting information. Information is the great chasm; the hearing impaired do not even know if it is there.

"We applaud the attention the Human Rights Commission has given to this disability sector, and look forward to seeing the recommendations in the report being implemented."

ENDS

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