ACT Government Accessible Public Transport Plan

This information it taken from http://www.tams.act.gov.au (see links to RTF Plan version in the Links List on this website).

ACT Chief Minister and Minister for Transport, Jon Stanhope, launched the ACT Government's Accessible Public Transport Action Plan 2009-2012 on Wednesday 30 September 2009.

The Action Plan sets out a range of tasks to be undertaken to increase the accessibility of the public transport system including:

•the development of customised Action Plans by public transport and infrastructure providers
•reviewing the number of wheelchair accessible taxis, licences and drivers to ensure response times are satisfactory
•a public awareness/education campaign
•working with other jurisdictions to investigate broad scale safety improvements to secure mobility aids in buses and taxis
•reviewing compliance against Disability Standards for infrastructure such as pathways, lighting and signage of bus stops, interchanges and taxi ranks
•raising awareness about the complaint mechanisms
•investigating financial incentives for passengers and taxi drivers/operators, such as extending free bus travel to people with disabilities.

Contact Christine Laurence in Transport Regulation and Planning by email at Christine.laurence@act.gov.au or phone 6207 7137 for hard copy/large print version.

ACT Women Centre for Health Matters focus on Health Information

The Preliminary Findings of the Women’s Centre for Health Matters 2009 survey on Women’s Health Information have been released (24.9.09). The survey was conducted both online and paper, and aimed to find out HOW and WHERE ACT women look for information about their health and wellbeing. Over 600 responses have been received, and it is expected that this figure will rise to 700 by the end of the survey period, making up 0.4% of ACT women.

The respondents were not drawn by random sampling, and close to 30% reported having a disability, or long term/Chronic health condition. WWDACT thanks the WCHM for enabling us to be over-represented instead of over-looked. Access to health information and treatment, in addition to disability information/treatment is of major concern and importance to achieve our best possible holistic outcomes.

Most women sought out information for themselves, via GPs and the internet. It could be that women with disabilities who responded are comfortable ICT users, and that in discussion with the WCHM, focus groups with non-internet WWDACT constituents could be held. Women’s confidence in the information they received showed that over 70% viewed the GP as trustworthy, whilst only 30% had similar confidence in the Emergency Department. A high percentage of respondents (54.4%) said that they considered accessibility issues when seeking information. More details on this aspect of the survey will be useful for women with disabilities.

WWDACT will work with the WCHM for comparative data between respondents with disabilities and the non-disabled to identify any particular anomalies which need targetted policies.

HAVE YOUR SAY ABOUT WOMEN IN AUSTRALIA

BPFA Online Survey

The United Nations Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA) aims to remove obstacles for women’s active participation in all areas of public & private life, sharing power, decision making & responsibility with men at home, in the workplace and in the wider national and international communities.

Equality is about social justice; a fundamental prerequisite for development and peace; and so women and men can work together for themselves, their children and for society to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

Your opinion is vital to bring about change so please take a few minutes to consider the questionnaire and make comment in the area/s that is/are important to you.

To input on line you can:
1. Go to www.jerainternational.org , click on the Working Together for Equality sign and click on the B+15 On-line questionnaire, to fill this out, or
2. You can go directly to the survey from here by using this link http://jerainternational.org/scope-of-services/projects/bpfa/beijing-plus-15/b15-platform-for-action-review-survey

Please feel free to answer all of the questions, or answer only the area that impacts on you.
While we are currently gathering information from women, JERA International welcomes any comments, ideas or feedback from men via email on info@jerainternational.org or via the comment box on the JERA website. JERA International will be running workshops with men during November, 2009.

Note that the B+15 Platform for Action review survey will close September 25, 2009.
Warm regards

Carole A Shaw, Director / Joint CEO, Jera International (Justice, Equality, Rights, Access International)

PO Box 289, Kangaroo Ground, Victoria 3097, Australia
P: + 61 3 9481 7553, M: + 61 (0) 421274 774, E: cshaw@jerainterntional.com.