The ISCCC endorses the Planning, Climate and Transport election platform prepared by the Advocacy for Inclusion, released on 2 May 2024.
This shared platform is issued by Advocacy for Inclusion, Women with Disabilities ACT, Mental Health Community Coalition ACT and ACT Down Syndrome and Intellectual Disability. It’s also endorsed by ACT Disability, Aged and Carer Advocacy (ADACAS), the Inner South Canberra Community Council, Living Streets Canberra and the ACT Council of Social Services (ACTCOSS).
Quotes attributable to Craig Wallace, AFI Head of Policy:
“Ageing means people with disabilities are a growing group of Canberrans yet we live in a time when our access to basic municipal, private and public goods including the urban realm, transport, paths of travel, energy, heating, cooling and accessible products are being challenged.
“Access to the urban realm and transport is increasingly precarious for some people with disabilities in our city. Issues include rapid development, the proliferation of shared zones and e scooters, the growth of ridesharing and unhelpful changes in vehicle design.
“This is why disability groups are releasing our first election platform seeking an integrated and thoughtful approach to social planning for vulnerable Canberrans.
“We call for a new social planning unit to lead with a rolling program of audits and accessibility improvements, small grants for accessibility focused on older areas and support to enable community councils and disability organisations to engage on municipal improvement.
“We also need changes to the wheelchair accessible taxi fleet, a firm timetable for the complete replacement of older Canberra Renault buses, improvements to accessible information and guaranteed funding for community transport. We are also calling for better regulation of ridesharing apps and micromobility devices.
“A business case for free public transport should be developed to recognize the considerable contribution of low incomes and poverty to transport disadvantage, especially for people with disability.
“Climate change is also creating precarious and increasingly uncomfortable lives. We seek actions to ensure that government policies for waste reduction, energy transition and climate change meet the needs of people with disabilities. This includes a summit to agree a set of disability focused just transition principles plus a work program to push industry to ensure newer devices and electric vehicles are accessible.
“A heat wave strategy for people with disability and chronic illness would include a program to install reverse cycle air-conditioning in the home of every frail and disabled public housing tenant by 2026”.
Quotes attributed to Gill King, Convenor of Living Streets Canberra:
“Living Streets Canberra calls for candidates to support upgrading and maintaining ACT streets, paths and crossings so they are – and feel – safe, accessible, comfortable and convenient for everyone regardless of ability. This includes ensuring that all ACT’s mobility options – including all streets, paths, crossings, and public transport stops – comply with anti-discrimination laws and standards.”
“Also, in our changing climate, weather is becoming more extreme and therefore more of a health and safety issue for people outside and particularly people with disability. Of particular concern is increasingly extreme heat in summer. To make being outside more comfortable and safer, Living Streets Canberra also calls on candidates to support measures to reduce urban heat in summer and for our streets, paths and public transport shops to have more shelter from inclement weather.”
Authorised by Craig Wallace for Advocacy for Inclusion”