Aviation Access Working Group (AAWG)

The Australian Government recognises the difficulties sometimes experienced by people with disabilities in accessing air travel.

The Hon Anthony Albanese MP, Minister for Infrastructure and Transport and the Hon Bill Shorten MP, then Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children’s Services, together established the Aviation Access Working Group (AAWG) to provide advice to the Government on disability access policy, the relevant legislative framework and practical measures that can be taken to improve the access to air services for people with a disability.
The Terms of Reference set out the formal objectives of the Aviation Access Working Group as follows:

• Contribute to the National Aviation Policy Statement (the Government’s policy on disability access to air travel is outlined in Chapter 5: Consumer Protection, pages 89–91);
• Contribute to the Government response to the report on the Transport Standards Review and facilitate the implementation of any recommendations (see below for further details);
• Advise the Government on the practicality and interaction of the existing aviation legislation with the Disability Discrimination Act 1992; and
• Consider other measures and actions that can provide people with disability access to air travel while ensuring the safety and security of all fare paying passengers.

The Terms of Reference are available at:

• AAWG Terms of Reference: [PDF: 10 KB], Accessible Version: [DOC: 27 KB]

Membership

The AAWG comprises representatives from:

• industry (both airline and airport operators),
• Australian and local Government agencies including the Attorney General’s Department and the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the Australian Human Rights Commission, and
• organisations advocating for the rights and/or welfare of people with a disability including, Australian Federation of Disability Organisations, National Disability Services, Physical Disability Australia and Deafness Forum of Australia.

Secretariat support to the AAWG is provided by this Department.

Progress

The Government believes that constructive and pro-active engagement between operators and regulators, combined with the provision of clear and transparent consumer information, is the best approach to generating tangible improvements for passengers with disabilities.

The National Aviation Policy White Paper, released in December 2009, announced the Government’s intention to assist airline and airport operators to publish Disability Access Facilitation Plans (DAFP) to communicate their approach to meeting the needs of passengers with disabilities. As at 3 August there were 31 airline and airport DAFPs in place.

Key issues that the Aviation Access Working Group is currently involved with are:

• continuing to encourage adoption of and improvement in the DAFP initiative;
• carriage of assistance animals on aircraft;
• training topics, content and competencies for airline and airport staff; and
• implementation of the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport Review aviation recommendation related to mobility aids.

Queries can be directed to the AAWG secretariat by email to aawg_secretariat@infrastructure.gov.au.

Advisory Material

• Staff Training - Guidance Material: [PDF: 31 KB], Accessible Version: [DOC: 31 KB]

Summary Records of Meetings of the Working Group:

• 6 February 2009 : [PDF: 179 KB], Accessible Version: [DOC: 45 KB]
• 7 April 2009: [PDF: 30 KB], Accessible Version: [DOC: 44 KB]
• 12 June 2009 : [PDF: 129 KB], Accessible Version: [DOC: 39 KB]
  
• 30 July 2009 : [PDF: 29 KB], Accessible Version: [DOC: 47 KB]
  
• 3 September 2009 : [PDF: 25 KB], Accessible Version: [DOC: 46 KB]
  
• 5 November 2009 : [PDF: 30 KB], Accessible Version: [DOC: 48 KB]
  
• 17 February 2010 : [PDF: 27 KB], Accessible Version: [DOC: 42 KB]
• 20 May 2010: [PDF: 43 KB], Accessible Version: [DOC: 50 KB]
• 4 November 2010: [PDF: 37 KB], Accessible Version: [DOC: 54 KB]
• 13 April 2011: [PDF: 45 KB], Accessible Version: [DOC: 62 KB]

Other Sites of Interest:

• Department’s website, Transport for People with Disabilities, including more information on the Transport Standards Review
• Department’s website, Travellers with special needs, offering advice and information on security screening.
• Civil Aviation Safety Authority website, Travellers with a Disability.