Latest news with #DisabilityDiscriminationAct
The Age
22-07-2025
- Business
- The Age
Paula wanted to travel with her guide dog, but Uber drivers kept cancelling
Hobley, in her response to Uber's defence, hit back at the notion that she and other riders enter into agreements with drivers directly. She notes Uber sends customers a receipt after each trip totalling the amount they paid to the company for point-to-point transport services, and that the receipts don't detail the amount their driver is paid. The ride-share company offers an 'Uber pet' booking class, alongside other options such as 'Uber X', but under its rules, riders with assistance animals do not need to book the specific pet option. Instead, customers who travel with assistance animals can opt in to a program that identifies them as travelling with an animal to drivers who accept their trip. When drivers, some of whom may prefer not to accept Uber pet trips, accept a regular trip request and are then notified that the customer will be travelling with an assistance animal, the app generates a notification that drivers are legally obliged under anti-discrimination law to accept the trip. However, Hobley claims drivers routinely cancel on her, causing her to become stranded and miss medical appointments and social functions. Hobley, in comments made before Uber filed its defence, alleged Uber had taken a 'softly-softly' approach to enforcing drivers' legal obligations. 'If I can't find a driver who will take me to essential appointments, my only other option is a long, indirect trip on public transport,' Hobley said this year, adding that what is a 10-minute car trip to an appointment near her place takes nearly an hour by bus. The experience of having trips cancelled has become 'too draining', to the point that Hobley avoids certain activities due to the risk of a cancellation. 'I need to be able to travel without stress and considerable pre-planning, just like most people do. This is a right, not a privilege,' Hobley said. Hobley said she was not asking for special treatment but had launched the legal action – in which the Justice and Equity Centre are representing her – so that drivers 'do their job and Uber enforce that'. The legal standing of Uber's claim is unclear. Alastair McEwin, who formerly served as Australia's disability discrimination commissioner and is a professor of practice in disability at the University of NSW, said a disabled person could not be refused service because of a disability support they require, such as an assistance animal. Contractors were covered by the act, he said. Loading He also questioned Uber's claim of unjustifiable hardship, noting carrying assistance animals did not cost extra and that Uber had not specified hardships such as cleaning charges. 'If the court were to find in Uber's favour in this case, it could potentially set a dangerous precedent that global organisations like Uber do not have to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act and therefore have no obligation to be accessible for disabled people,' McEwin says. Lee Kumutat, advocacy and policy manager at Guide Dogs Australia, said Hobley's experiences were 'all too common'. Kumutat pointed to research by the organisation that found 50 per cent of people requiring guide dogs had had an issue with ride-share or taxi companies in the past two years, with more than one-third saying their trip was cancelled. 'Uber should not be above the law when it comes to discrimination,' Kumutat says. An Uber spokesperson said if a driver refused service to a rider with an assistance animal, they must pass a test, and that a second refusal may result in permanent loss of access to its Uber driver app. 'The distress of being refused service because of an assistance animal is not something we take lightly at Uber, and we know this is a significant issue across broader society,' the spokesperson said, defending the company's investment tools and education 'to ensure drivers understand their legal obligation'. A mediation hearing is set for September.
Glasgow Times
26-06-2025
- Business
- Glasgow Times
McGill's boss hits back at Glasgow MSP public bus firm plan
McGill's, one of the Glasgow region's biggest bus firms, is vehemently opposed to the idea. Sandy Easdale, who owns McGill's with his brother JAmes has written for the Glasgow Times in response to Patrick Harvie's suggestion of publicly owned bus companies. (Image: newsquest) Sandy Easdale said: "Let's be blunt. Patrick Harvie's knowledge of transport appears to be restricted to whether or not he needs to fix a puncture on his bike. "He is also so irresponsible he doesn't feel the need to wear a helmet, a great example to young cyclists everywhere. "Mr Harvie hates cars, he hates buses. To quote Noel Gallagher, he is 'a man with a fork in a world of soup.' "Let's get factual. Strathclyde's bus services boast a very high approval rating in Transport Focus's survey — the highest in Scotland and comfortably among the UK's best. READ NEXT:Patrick Harvie MSP calls for publicly owned bus firm in Glasgow "Interestingly, the anti-bus ownership clique in Scotland keeps whining on about the great Manchester franchising experiment run by another political egomaniac, Mayor Andy Burnham. Manchester are leagues below us. "Egged on by activists and highly -paid external consultants who see the opportunity to line their own pockets, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) – which has £180m of Scottish taxpayers' money sitting in its coffers and reaped a staggering £8m in annual interest — plays the major role in this bureaucratic charade that could lead to hyper-expensive franchising. (Image: newsquest) "I warned last year that SPT's extensive wish list could cost £400m a year of Scottish taxpayers' money — a figure based on detailed expert analysis shared with McGill's Group. That's almost double the still-growing financial disaster we're seeing in Manchester. "Not one councillor, MSP, or government minister can now claim ignorance over the true cost of this madness. "Franchising cheerleaders love to parrot the line that it 'returns control to the public. READ NEXT: Glasgow's new ship hall opened in honour of woman shipbuilding pioneer "But let's be clear: McGill's was never some hand-me-down from the council — it was built from the ground up at great cost to the owners. "McGill's Group has delivered where politicians have long failed: integrating ticketing which reduces costs for passengers, introducing Euro VI buses to Scotland and the first Disability Discrimination Act compliant network in Scotland plus much more. "A business forged by years of risk and personal sacrifice — by me, my brother James, and ably steered by chairman Ralph Roberts — is now at risk of being confiscated, carved up, and auctioned off to the lowest bidder. "As James said to me only this morning, 'Why are the government and local councils even contemplating this horrendous expenditure when it has just been revealed that our cancer treatment waiting times are the worst in our country's history?' "My final word to Mr Harvie – get on your bike son and leave transport to the adults."
The Age
20-06-2025
- General
- The Age
Fares aside, Hailey pays a ‘physical cost' for each trip on Melbourne's old trams
Disability Resources Centre advocate Andrew Bretherton said it was 'ridiculous' such little progress had been made in making the network accessible, more than 20 years after the Disability Discrimination Act was passed. Victoria missed a deadline imposed by that law to make all tram stops accessible by 2022, and now faces an uphill battle to make the entire tram fleet accessible by 2032. Six routes now operate entirely with accessible trams, but 11 routes still exclusively use high-floor rolling stock. 'What they're doing is segregating a whole community from society by not letting them have access to an everyday need, which is transport,' Bretherton said. 'Almost everyone's going to be affected by disability at some point. You're secluding disabled, injured people, elderly people from the community.' Bretherton said that while public transport could be especially inaccessible for wheelchair users, there should also be more awareness of people whose disability might not be obvious to others but who still needed ramps, level-access stops, and use of priority seating. People with these 'hidden disabilities' sometimes wear sunflower lanyards or badges when they travel. Victoria's new G-Class trams will start testing on the network later this year, with 100 due to be delivered through a $1.4 billion order. Operating out of a new depot in Maidstone and designed with extensive input from accessibility advocates, the G-Class will first be deployed on the routes 57, 82 and 59, which currently have no accessible trams and few accessible stops. A spokesman for Public Transport Minister Gabrielle Williams said two new level-access stops would be built in the 2025/26 financial year, at the Moonee Ponds Junction, which serves routes 82 and 59. Fourteen more have funding in the pipeline, including eight along Droop Street, Footscray, announced in last month's budget. Public Transport Users Association spokesperson Daniel Bowen said the 100 G-Class trams were a 'good start', but 130 high-floor B-Class trams would be left on the network which also needed replacing. 'We've got some areas which are very reliant on tram services, and if you're able-bodied, that's great. [But] if you're a parent with a pram, it can be very difficult to use the high-floor trams. If you're using luggage, it can be difficult. And if you've got a wheelchair or some other sort of mobility aid, it's basically impossible.' An Allan government spokesperson said the Labor government had upgraded 98 tram stops since coming to power a decade ago, and delivered 50 accessible E-Class trams. 'We know there is more to do, and we're working with accessibility groups to ensure we are prioritising the upgrades that will make the most difference to them,' the spokesperson said. The Transport Department has shifted to an approach of upgrading a group of stops along an entire 'corridor' of the tram network rather than on a stop-by-stop basis. Design work and consultation was undertaken to upgrade stops on route 86 along Gertrude and Smith streets in Fitzroy and Collingwood, and on High Street in Thornbury and Northcote last year, but the state government has not committed to implementing those upgrades. A 2020 Victorian Auditor-General's Office report found the Transport Department had estimated the cost of upgrading all tram stops in the network to level-access would cost at least $2 billion. A spokesperson for the City of Stonnington said it was working with the department on long-term planning for accessible tram stops on Chapel Street as part of 'broader discussions about the future transformation of the precinct'. Loading 'This planning work will consider how best to integrate tram accessibility upgrades with streetscape improvements and the needs of other road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and local traders,' they said. Yarra Trams recorded almost 16 million passenger trips last year on Melbourne tram network, which is the world's largest.
Sydney Morning Herald
20-06-2025
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
Fares aside, Hailey pays a ‘physical cost' for each trip on Melbourne's old trams
Disability Resources Centre advocate Andrew Bretherton said it was 'ridiculous' such little progress had been made in making the network accessible, more than 20 years after the Disability Discrimination Act was passed. Victoria missed a deadline imposed by that law to make all tram stops accessible by 2022, and now faces an uphill battle to make the entire tram fleet accessible by 2032. Six routes now operate entirely with accessible trams, but 11 routes still exclusively use high-floor rolling stock. 'What they're doing is segregating a whole community from society by not letting them have access to an everyday need, which is transport,' Bretherton said. 'Almost everyone's going to be affected by disability at some point. You're secluding disabled, injured people, elderly people from the community.' Bretherton said that while public transport could be especially inaccessible for wheelchair users, there should also be more awareness of people whose disability might not be obvious to others but who still needed ramps, level-access stops, and use of priority seating. People with these 'hidden disabilities' sometimes wear sunflower lanyards or badges when they travel. Victoria's new G-Class trams will start testing on the network later this year, with 100 due to be delivered through a $1.4 billion order. Operating out of a new depot in Maidstone and designed with extensive input from accessibility advocates, the G-Class will first be deployed on the routes 57, 82 and 59, which currently have no accessible trams and few accessible stops. A spokesman for Public Transport Minister Gabrielle Williams said two new level-access stops would be built in the 2025/26 financial year, at the Moonee Ponds Junction, which serves routes 82 and 59. Fourteen more have funding in the pipeline, including eight along Droop Street, Footscray, announced in last month's budget. Public Transport Users Association spokesperson Daniel Bowen said the 100 G-Class trams were a 'good start', but 130 high-floor B-Class trams would be left on the network which also needed replacing. 'We've got some areas which are very reliant on tram services, and if you're able-bodied, that's great. [But] if you're a parent with a pram, it can be very difficult to use the high-floor trams. If you're using luggage, it can be difficult. And if you've got a wheelchair or some other sort of mobility aid, it's basically impossible.' An Allan government spokesperson said the Labor government had upgraded 98 tram stops since coming to power a decade ago, and delivered 50 accessible E-Class trams. 'We know there is more to do, and we're working with accessibility groups to ensure we are prioritising the upgrades that will make the most difference to them,' the spokesperson said. The Transport Department has shifted to an approach of upgrading a group of stops along an entire 'corridor' of the tram network rather than on a stop-by-stop basis. Design work and consultation was undertaken to upgrade stops on route 86 along Gertrude and Smith streets in Fitzroy and Collingwood, and on High Street in Thornbury and Northcote last year, but the state government has not committed to implementing those upgrades. A 2020 Victorian Auditor-General's Office report found the Transport Department had estimated the cost of upgrading all tram stops in the network to level-access would cost at least $2 billion. A spokesperson for the City of Stonnington said it was working with the department on long-term planning for accessible tram stops on Chapel Street as part of 'broader discussions about the future transformation of the precinct'. Loading 'This planning work will consider how best to integrate tram accessibility upgrades with streetscape improvements and the needs of other road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and local traders,' they said. Yarra Trams recorded almost 16 million passenger trips last year on Melbourne tram network, which is the world's largest.
Time Business News
21-05-2025
- Health
- Time Business News
Planning a Medical Centre Fitout That Works for Patients and Professionals
Designing a medical centre fitout goes far beyond aesthetics. It's about building a functional, compliant, and welcoming environment that supports medical professionals and puts patients at ease. Whether you're opening a new clinic or revamping an existing space, a well-planned fitout ensures your facility meets industry standards, optimises workflow, and enhances the patient experience. From layout to lighting, and compliance to comfort, every detail contributes to how your medical practice operates. A poorly designed clinic can lead to patient dissatisfaction, reduced staff productivity, and compliance issues. That's why it's crucial to approach the fitout process with strategic planning and a focus on long-term functionality. Healthcare environments are unique. Unlike commercial offices or retail spaces, a medical centre fitout must accommodate both clinical requirements and human comfort. It needs to balance sterile, efficient spaces for practitioners with warm, approachable zones for patients and families. For instance, reception and waiting areas should be designed to ease anxiety and reduce stress. Natural light, calming colours, and comfortable seating go a long way in making patients feel more relaxed. On the other hand, consulting rooms, treatment areas, and sterilisation zones must prioritise hygiene, privacy, and accessibility. When these areas are carefully thought out, the result is a medical facility that promotes trust, efficiency, and professional credibility. Every medical centre fitout must adhere to specific building codes and healthcare regulations. This includes accessibility standards under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), infection control measures, ventilation guidelines, and proper waste management protocols. Accreditation bodies such as the RACGP (Royal Australian College of General Practitioners) also have standards that your practice must meet if it offers general practice services. These standards often impact the design and layout of spaces like treatment rooms, medication storage, and staff facilities. Working with a fitout specialist who understands healthcare compliance is essential. It ensures that the design doesn't just look good, but functions legally and safely, protecting both patients and your practice from potential liabilities. A successful medical centre fitout considers how practitioners, nurses, and administrative staff move through the space. Every step, from a patient checking in at reception to being seen in a consulting room, should feel seamless. Poor layout choices—like having staff walk across the building to access sterilisation equipment or placing storage in hard-to-reach locations—can slow operations down. On the other hand, a well-thought-out design can reduce wait times, support better record-keeping, and minimise disruptions during consultations. Key design considerations include strategically placed consulting rooms, easy access to shared treatment areas, logical storage placement, and separate pathways for staff and patients where necessary. These elements make daily routines easier for medical professionals and less frustrating for patients. When someone walks into a medical centre, their first impression is shaped by what they see, hear, and feel. A modern, welcoming medical centre fitout helps build patient trust and ease. That begins with a clear signage system, an uncluttered reception area, and a warm colour palette. Noise reduction is another crucial aspect. Acoustic treatments can make a big difference in patient privacy and overall comfort. Nobody wants to overhear private consultations or deal with noisy waiting rooms. Amenities like accessible bathrooms, dedicated children's play zones, or even coffee stations can also leave a positive impression, especially in practices where patients may spend longer waiting or return frequently. Today's medical centres rely heavily on technology—from digital records and online booking systems to diagnostic tools and telehealth platforms. A smart medical centre fitout includes infrastructure that supports these technologies. This could mean installing enough data ports in consulting rooms, ensuring strong Wi-Fi coverage, setting up secure server rooms, and including patient charging stations in the waiting area. Considering future tech upgrades during the fitout phase can save time and costs down the road. It's also worth thinking about how to integrate tech without making the space feel impersonal. Hidden cables, built-in screens, and sleek wall-mounted devices keep everything professional without overwhelming the clinical environment. A successful medical centre fitout is the result of collaboration between you, your staff, and an experienced fitout company. It's important to partner with professionals who understand the nuances of healthcare design, local council requirements, and patient behaviour. Before starting any work, a detailed consultation should take place to assess your current space, future needs, and branding preferences. From here, a reliable fitout company can guide you through planning, permits, construction, and finishing touches. A good fitout partner will also be transparent about timelines, costs, and materials used—ensuring you stay informed every step of the way. A well-executed medical centre fitout does more than improve your physical space. It supports better healthcare delivery, improves staff workflow, ensures compliance, and creates a positive environment for your patients. Whether you're starting fresh or upgrading an old clinic, investing in a thoughtful fitout helps your practice stand out in a competitive healthcare landscape. If you're planning a fitout soon, consider what your space needs to function better today—and be flexible enough to evolve with tomorrow. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
