Broken wheelchairs, denied assistance dogs and being left waiting alone for hours are common experiences faced by people with disability during air travel. Last year the federal government made a series of accessibility pledges as part of the aviation white paper. While discussions on implementing them are underway, passengers continue to face barriers.
00:00In his professional work, Jono Bredden provides advice on making businesses accessible.
00:09He was recently invited to attend an inclusive housing event but couldn't get there because none of the flights were accessible to someone using a powered wheelchair.
00:19I was very angry because of the barrier and because I have had to turn down several work opportunities outside of Victoria.
00:27The irony of being unable to attend an accessibility event due to inaccessible transport isn't lost on him.
00:34It's so unfair and hard to believe that this is even still an issue in such a developed country.
00:40For decades people with disability have faced discrimination, been left behind and had their plans disrupted when travelling by air.
00:49Last year the government put out an aviation white paper and promised to address accessibility.
00:55It committed to creating disability standards for air travel, increasing compensation for damaged mobility aids and looking at ways to ensure wheelchairs can be carried.
01:06A year later people like Jono are still struggling.
01:10I believe that airlines don't actually want us on planes. It would be too much work for them.
01:15We frequently hear people who have issues when flying by air and for some people they say that it happens every time they fly.
01:23The Justice and Equity Centre wants an independent regulator to hold airlines and airports accountable.
01:29So the burden isn't on people with disability to make a complaint after the discrimination has already happened.
01:35The Federal Government and airlines say they are committed to ensuring air travel is safe and accessible for all Australians.
01:42They'll finalise the new standards next year.
01:45That can't come soon enough for passengers with disability who have long called for change.
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