PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY STOP MELBOURNE TRAMS
People with Disability Reminder: Inaccessible trams are Unacceptable: CATCH A TRAM ACTION Wednesday 13th September 11.00am cnr Swanston & Collins Sts, Melbourne
On Wednesday the 13th September 2000 a peaceful demonstration by people with disability stopped Melbourne's Trams for two hours as planned. Eighty people were there: people with disability who use wheelchairs, people with disability that don't use wheelchairs, friends, allies, supporters and advocates. One woman who uses a wheelchair managed to get on a tram for the
first time in her life. She was laughing the whole time, even while three Police Officers carried her off the tram. Everyone got to Catch A Tram as a whole fleet of trams queued away from the intersection.
Tram travel was severely disrupted over lunch time causing a great deal of inconvenience to other members of the public. Most how ever were very supportive. Many said 'good on you'. This was despite the fact that they were being made to walk. They knew while they couldn't catch a tram that day, that those protesting couldn't get a Tram any day.
The protesters greeted an announcement by Yarra Trams, one of the Tram companies, with cautious welcome. Yarra Trams provided a press release saying 'Access For All' and that they want to make their whole fleet accessible by 2006! Swanston Trams were asked by the protesters what they would do about access. They merely said they would comply with the Standards. They will find out that this is not acceptable.
The people with disability protesting received support from thousands of S11 demonstrators who marched to the Tram Blockade in solidarity. Catch A Tram and S11 united on the need for Public Transport access. For an extended moment there was a real sense of mutuality and shared purpose that can be built on in the future.
The onus is now on the Tram Companies and our governments to act. Access needs to be provided as quickly as vehicles can be built. The whole of Australia can benefit from this investment in accessible infrastructure and
Australian jobs. Our public transport will then stop denying people the chance to participate in life's opportunities. Everyone has been reminded
that inaccessible trams are just unacceptable. The cost of this is going to
be emphasised. People with disability are determined to continue direct action to bring about access over the next few years. Ten, fifteen, twenty or thirty years is not acceptable. After leaving the blockade of the middle
of the intersection everyone met and celebrated. There was unanimous support for another Catch A Tram Action in one months time. Planning has already commenced. WE WILL RIDE
Contact: Mark Feigan (03) 9416 3488 or arn at netlink.net.au -- Marta Russell author, Los Angeles, CA Beyond Ramps: Disability at the End of the Social Contract http://disweb.org/