Making disability parking permits available to more South Australians

Friday, 29 November 2024

The Disability Parking Permit (DPP) scheme is proposed to expand for the first time in more than 25 years to improve accessibility for more South Australians, including covering cognitive, behavioural and neurological conditions such as autism.  

Proposed changes will enable the scheme to be modified to better meet the needs of people with a disability, specifically including:

• applicants that have a significant intellectual, cognitive, behavioural or neurological condition that prevents them from moving independently without the continuous support of another person
• applicants who are legally blind.

The requirement that an applicant’s ability to use public transport must be significantly impeded will also be removed, making South Australia’s scheme consistent with all other Australian jurisdictions.

The DPP scheme, which is governed by the Motor Vehicles Act 1959, currently requires a person to meet a fixed criteria that includes having a ‘physical impairment’ that impacts their mobility and significantly impairs their ability to use public transport.

This criteria means that South Australians with cognitive, behavioural or neurological conditions (without a mobility impairment) cannot be granted a DPP under the Act, despite often sharing similar needs to those living with physical conditions such as requiring safe access to high traffic locations and services.

While applicants with legal blindness are likely currently eligible for a DPP, a new stand-alone provision aims to streamline the process and remove any ambiguity.

The current physical mobility impairment criteria will remain and people who hold an existing DPP do not need to reapply.