Understanding the proposed amendments and how they strengthen accessibility across premises, infrastructure and conveyances.
Written by Patricia Flores, Access Leader Queensland
The Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport (DSAPT) Amendment 2025 Exposure Draft was released for public comment in October 2025, with submissions closing in November 2025. The Exposure Draft sets out proposed reforms to modernise Australia’s public transport accessibility standards. These reforms give effect to an agreed regulatory reform package announced by the Australian Government on 20 March 2024 and are the first major update to the Transport Standards in more than 20 years.
Architecture & Access have participated in the public commentary and provide the following summary of the Exposure Draft.
Purpose of the Amendments
- Improve accessibility across the entire public transport journey, from planning through to boarding and travel.
- Remove discrimination and support independent travel for people with disability.
- Modernise the Standards so they align with contemporary transport operations and technologies.
Key Features of the Exposure Draft
1. Updates Across Technical Parts
The Draft includes detailed amendments to parts of the existing DSAPT 2002 standards across premises, infrastructure and conveyances, covering:
- Access paths, manoeuvring, passing areas and resting points:
- Updates to current Australian Standards
- Ramps, waiting areas, boarding, allocated spaces
- Updates to current Australian Standards and;
- A new section on removable gangways
- A formula to calculate priority seating and allocated spaces to premises
- More information about boarding points with an allowance for boarding points on roads with a gradient steeper than 1:40, to ensure safe boarding device deployment, the boarding point’s gradient may match the road’s gradient
- Boarding ramps to include vertical edge barriers in alignment with kerb rails 65-75mm high
- Boarding device request buttons including newton force requirements, in alignment with lift buttons
- New section on passenger loading zones on and off street and accessible parking
- Allocated spaces on conveyances become 3-dimensional, 1500mm vertical dimension added and exclusions into this space provided
- Doorways and door controls, lifts and stairs:
- Updates to current Australian Standards
- The door of a unisex accessible toilet must be power-assisted to premises and conveyance
- Luminance contrast requirements included to all doors
- Lift facilities must comply with AS 1735.12 (2020) in so much as they don’t conflict with AS 1735.12 (1999)
- Introduction of Braille and tactile information in lift landings and specific audible announcement in lift about location and directions and emergency communication systems in the lift that is required to have a hearing loop
- Updates to current Australian Standards for stairs
- Handrails and grabrails, surfaces, and tactile ground surface indicators:
- Updates to current Australian Standards
- Toilets Premises:
- Updates to current Australian Standards in size and fixtures
- Toilets Conveyances
- Updates to current Australian Standards fixtures indicated to pan and basin only
- Introduction of left and right-hand transfer, if 2 or more toilets provided
- Lighting, alarms, signage and symbols:
- Updates to current Australian Standards for signage and ISO7001 for graphical symbols
- Inclusion of information on signage for hearing augmentation and requirements for signage in sanitary facilities including location of ambulant toilets, however ambulant toilets are not part of the DSAPT
- A new section replacing electronic notices with digital information display screens
- A new section on Braille and tactile signs to align with the NCC (National Construction Code) Specification 15 requirements
- Payment of Fares:
- A new section on requirements for an accessible fare system to meet AS EN 301 549 (2020) in regard to audio and visual information
- Information:
- A new section on large print format and print format to be Braille embossed
- A new section regarding online information about public transport services being accessible and provided to WCAG Level AA
- Other new sections include:
- Information provided during disruptions in a variety of information formats
- Communicating accessibility features of conveyances, premises and infrastructure in multiple formats that is easy to understand
- Information and communication technology must be accessible
- Priority Seating – A new section about:
- The allocation of priority seating and a formula provided to ascertain numbers required
- How priority seating is to look and be signed and where it is to be located
- The inclusion of accommodation for Assistance Animals on conveyances
- Booked Services:
- Updated section to include how passengers with disabilities can book seating appropriate to their travelling needs and the option to be able to travel in different classes of travel if provided by a service
These updates strengthen and clarify technical requirements that transport operators must meet, however not all parts have been updated, including:
- Alarms
- Furniture and fitments
- Street Furniture
- Gateways
- Vending Machines
- Hearing Augmentation
- Belongings
2. Improvements to the Passenger Journey
The reforms focus on:
- More accessible stops and stations, ensuring easier boarding and alighting
- Better, more accessible information for trip planning
- Improved staff capability and understanding of disability-related responsibilities
- Increased safety and amenity onboard services
3. Updated Guidelines – Accompanying the Exposure Draft is an update to the transport Standards Guidelines to:
- Align with the proposed amendments
- Remove outdated material
- Improve clarity and usability for operators and regulators
4. Transitional Arrangements
Stakeholder feedback is sought on whether the transition timeframes are fair and workable, especially for providers who already have procurement or construction projects underway.
Architecture & Access welcome the long-awaited updates to the DSAPT and the new DSAPT Exposure Draft 2025 and although some gaps still remain, we support the current amendments to improving the transport journey for passengers with a disability and their carers.
