Blog

How many more lives before safe wheelchair transport becomes the law? Physical Disability Australia calls on all governments to legislate mandatory national standards for wheelchair securement, restraint and driver training in accessible vehicles. A wheelchair user has died getting out of a taxi, and it was preventable. Physical Disability Australia (PDA) is demanding that every...

Physical Disability Australia demands the Government take NDIS 2.0 seriously: a costed pathway to sustainability that protects participant supports Canberra – Physical Disability Australia (PDA) has an honest question for the Albanese Government: why press on down a path that Treasury’s own forecasts show is unsustainable, when there are credible alternatives that are easier to...

 Key facts: Physical Disability Australia (PDA) CEO Suzanne Gearing has criticised the Disability Discrimination Act Issues Paper as underwhelming, arguing that decades of reviews and advocacy have yet to produce enforceable rights or a legislative timetable for reform. The paper acknowledges longstanding barriers — including the burden placed on individuals to lodge complaints — but...

Parliamentary report exposes governance and safeguarding failures. Physical Disability Australia says implementation must deliver safety, independence and participation – not just budget repair. People with physical disability are being left unable to get out of bed, go to work or take part in community life when supports fail. Physical Disability Australia (PDA) says that is...

Physical Disability Australia is calling for faster plan decisions and safeguards for essential supports, following the NDIA Annual Report 2025–26. Physical Disability Australia CEO, Suzanne Gearing, is calling for faster plan decisions and safeguards for essential supports, following the NDIA Annual Report 2025–26. “This report shows equipment and daily supports can transform lives. But delays,...

Blog by Jordan Kinniburgh I have cerebral palsy. It’s part of my life, but it isn’t the whole story. Growing up, I went to mainstream school. I wanted the same things as other kids: to make friends, join in, try new things and feel that I belonged. My friends made a huge difference. They were...

Physical Disability Australia supports an evidence-based Annual Pricing Review, but pricing reform must be judged by its effect on participants’ access, safety, choice and purchasing power. For people with physical disability, particularly those with high and complex daily support needs, price settings determine whether essential support hours, skilled workers, therapy, accessible accommodation and continuity of...

Physical Disability Australia (PDA) has lodged its submission on the eight proposed new framework planning rules for the NDIS. As the national peak Disabled People’s Organisation for people with physical disability, PDA represents many of the Scheme’s longest standing and highest-needs participants – people who rely on the NDIS for daily personal care, assistive technology,...

For most travellers, a damaged bag is an annoyance. For a wheelchair user, a damaged wheelchair means losing mobility, independence and sometimes their health and safety. That is the message at the heart of Physical Disability Australia’s (PDA) response to the Australian Government’s Aviation Disability Standards Consultation Paper (August 2026). Why This Matters According to...

It has been three years since the Disability Royal Commission delivered 222 recommendations to address violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability; Australians are still waiting for evidence that governments are delivering the systemic change they promised. The Disability Royal Commission heard from almost 10,000 people. Many shared deeply personal experiences with the...

By Suzanne Gearing, CEO of Physical Disability Australia In this blog, our CEO Suzanne Gearing uses humour to highlight a serious issue affecting people with mobility aids and others with mobility and access requirements. Every footpath seems to have developed a serious attitude problem. One minute it is a public pathway, the next it is...

By Melanie Hawkes, PDA WA Director Accessible public transport relies on more than ramps and designated spaces. It also requires awareness, communication and consideration when passengers have different access needs. PDA WA Director Melanie Hawkes recently encountered this while travelling home from Optus Stadium. In her own words, Melanie shares what happened when she could...