Daniel
Content Warning: These stories are about violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation and may include references to suicide or self-harming behaviours. They may contain graphic descriptions and strong language and may be distressing. Some narratives may be about First Nations people who have passed away. If you need support, please see Contact & support.
Daniel is an older man with epilepsy. He does not drive and relies on taxis or public transport. He told the Royal Commission about the transport issues he faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the early days of the pandemic Daniel felt unwell. He organised a COVID-19 test for himself at a hospital in his regional city, booking a taxi to get him there. The taxi was late and Daniel nearly missed his appointment. But the hospital staff fitted him in and Daniel emerged in the late afternoon and called for another taxi to take him home. He was told the wait time was 60 minutes. Daniel agreed to wait.
Seventy-five minutes later Daniel called the taxi company again.
‘On the second call, [the taxi company] advised that they will not provide any service to me as I am sick. I can hear the discriminatory tone of the person who answered the second call.’
With no public transport options and no taxi, Daniel was forced to walk nine kilometres home ‘in the dark, out in the cold, while feeling unwell’.
‘It was a slow walk home and I was stumbling in the dark. I must be very cautious, so I won’t be hit by a vehicle. I felt that [the taxi company] put my life at risk.’
Daniel says the experience made him ‘feel like a piece of dirt’. He believes private transport operators need to be better informed about COVID-19 and techniques for minimising infection risk, while still providing what is an essential service for people with disability.
‘I don’t want people to suffer what I have experienced as it is not right and inhuman.’
Disclaimer: This is the story of a person who shared their personal experience with the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability through a submission or private session. The names in this story are pseudonyms. The person who shared this experience was not a witness and their account is not evidence. They did not take an oath or affirmation before providing the story. Nothing in this story constitutes a finding of the Royal Commission. Any views expressed are those of the person who shared their experience, not of the Royal Commission.