The Australian Government has reformed the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002 (Transport Standards) to improve the accessibility of public transport and remove discrimination against people with disability. The Transport Standards are a legislative instrument made under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. The reforms were developed in collaboration with people with disability, the public transport industry and state and territory governments.
On 13 October 2026, the Transport Standards and its supporting guidelines were amended. The amendments introduce new requirements for operators and providers that will improve accessibility across the whole public transport journey, including staff training, changes to make it easier to find information to plan a journey, and improved safety and design specifications.
This webpage includes links to key documents and provides resources to help explain the changes.
This is separate to the department's ongoing work to create new aviation-specific disability standards, which will help address air travel barriers faced by people with disability. Further information is available on the Aviation Accessibility webpage.
Legislative amendments, explanatory statement and updated guidelines
There are three key documents that give effect to the reforms:
- The Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport Amendment 2026 (amending instrument) implements legislative changes to the Transport Standards. The amending instrument is available here.
- The explanatory statement explains the objectives, purpose and operation of the amending instrument. The explanatory statement is available here.
- The Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport Guidelines 2026 (updated guidelines) provide guidance on interpreting and complying with the Transport Standards. The updated guidelines are available here.
A compilation, which is an updated version of the Transport Standards that combines the existing requirements and the amendments into a single document, will be published on the Federal Register of Legislation in the coming weeks. This webpage will be updated once it is available.
Resources for people with disability and disability representative organisations
A summary document is available that explains the purpose of the Transport Standards and some of the new rules that will make public transport safer, easier and more accessible for people with disability. This document is also available in Easy Read and Auslan format:
- Protecting the rights of people with disability on public transport: changes to the Transport Standard
- Changes to the Transport Standards—Easy Read version—October 2026—PDF
An information kit is available for disability representative organisations, including messages and resources that can be shared with their networks:
Resources for public transport operators and providers
A document that summarises the amendments to the Transport Standards is available. This document outlines some of the key changes that operators and providers should understand. Please note this document does not outline all new compliance obligations and should be read alongside the amending instrument:
An information kit is available for operators and providers, including messages and resources that can be shared with their networks:
Frequently asked questions
A document that answers frequently asked questions about the reforms is available:
Background information
Further information about the reform process, including a timeline, the impact analysis process, and the final reform package is available on the Background information—Reform of the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002 (Transport Standards) webpage.
Contact us
For more information, please get in touch: