Exposure Draft: Reform of the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002 (Transport Standards)
17 November 2025
Disability,Travel and Transport
MS Australia’s submission to the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts advocates for the Transport Standards and guidelines to require regular disability awareness and inclusion training for all public transport staff; procedures for handling equipment disruptions; procedures for crowd management to assist people with disability when boarding and department public transport; and amending Part 15 to prohibit locking accessible toilets, ensuring they remain available for people with disability, including those living with MS.
MS Australia submission supports strengthening the NDIS but warns the Bill risks reducing rights and flexibility for people with MS. It highlights concerns with stricter eligibility, assessments, informal support assumptions, pricing changes, and decision-making powers. The submission calls for stronger safeguards, consultation, workforce training, and human rights compliance to ensure reforms are person‑centred, evidence‑based, and responsive to complex, fluctuating conditions like MS.
MS Australia’s submission to the Inquiry into the Integrity of the NDIS highlights widespread risks of fraud and non-compliance, particularly among unregistered providers, leading to harm, reduced supports, and loss of trust for participants. It recommends compulsory provider and worker registration (with limited exemptions), stronger safeguards, improved transparency, and tailored approaches for rural areas and self-management to better protect participants and strengthen scheme integrity.
MS Australia’s submission to the NDIA raises significant concerns about the NDIS proposed new framework planning rules. MS Australia calls for delayed implementation to allow for genuine co‑design, better staff training, participant review of draft support need assessments, removal of informal supports in NDIS plan budgeting, and clear, accessible guidance.
MS Australia’s submission to the 2025–26 NDIS Annual Pricing Review highlights that current NDIS pricing is inconsistent, inflexible and fails to reflect the real cost of supporting people with progressive neurological conditions. The submission recommends differentiated and sustainable pricing, removal of quarterly funding periods, increased prices for therapy, support coordination, plan management and registered providers, and transferring pricing responsibility to IHACPA to ensure transparent, evidence‑based and independent pricing across the sector.
MS Australia’s 2026–27 Pre‑Budget Submission seeks investment to address rising MS prevalence and growing economic impacts. It calls for funding to expand MS research and data infrastructure, increase access to MS Nurses, improve NDIS pricing and planning, strengthen the disability and aged care workforce, and ensure equitable supports for older people with disability. The submission outlines four priority areas: research, nursing, disability reform, and aged care system improvements.
