Calls for change after Melbourne taxi drivers reject survivor of stroke
Stroke Foundation is urging Victorian taxi and transport unions to consider changing its voucher system after a disability advocate was rejected service by several taxi drivers outside Melbourne Airport.
New South Wales survivor of stroke, Adrian O’Malley, has a visual impairment and cannot drive so he relies heavily on public transport to move around. Last week, Adrian was attempting to travel from Melbourne Airport to the CBD when he was refused by six taxi drivers because they would not accept his government-issued taxi transport voucher.
Adrian says what happened to him is discrimination.
“The industry in Victoria is the wild west and it’s filled with cowboys. I’ll be making a complaint about this disability discrimination with the Human Rights Commission.”
“ This has happened too many times now. It wasn’t a pleasant experience standing at the Melbourne Airport watching people without disability hop into a cab and go on their merry way.”
Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability in Australia and the budgeted cost of stroke on the NDIS has exceeded $1b for the first time ever.
Stroke Foundation Executive Director, Stroke Services and Research, Dr Lisa Murphy, says Adrian’s experience is unacceptable and shows a disparity in services.
“The experience Adrian had is appalling and we would like to the see the taxi union address these gaps in taxi services and fix a broken system that hinders people with a disability.”
Dr Murphy says people with a disability deserve to be treated respectfully and equally.
“Adrian was just trying to get to Melbourne for a Stroke Foundation event to talk about his lived experience with stroke and to have this happen on what was meant to be a positive week just shows that we, as a society, still have a long way to go.”
Adrian says he would like to see immediate change, so this doesn’t happen to anyone else.
“I had an unpleasant experience but I’m able to advocate for myself, but people aren’t able to advocate are copping this on the chin which is unacceptable.”