{"id":10757,"date":"2023-05-31T13:40:32","date_gmt":"2023-05-31T03:40:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/conduceconsultants.com\/s2s\/?p=10757"},"modified":"2023-10-02T13:01:09","modified_gmt":"2023-10-02T03:01:09","slug":"how-to-get-a-companion-card-an-access-travel-pass","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/conduceconsultants.com\/s2s\/how-to-get-a-companion-card-an-access-travel-pass\/","title":{"rendered":"How to get a Companion Card & an Access Travel Pass"},"content":{"rendered":"

Going to gigs, catching up with friends, accessing events, getting out and about \u2013 this is what being part of a community is all about. It\u2019s what so many of us need and, to a degree, take for granted.<\/p>\n

People with a physical or cognitive disability, however, can find the seemingly simple task of catching a train challenging, not to mention seeing their favourite band live.<\/p>\n

A recent Productivity Commission report<\/a> found decreasing levels of community participation among people with a disability in Australia. \u00a0The report compared data between 2009 to 2018.<\/p>\n

Nationally, for people with disability aged 15\u201364 years, the proportion who had face\u2011to\u2011face contact with family or friends who don\u2019t live in their household decreased by around 9 percentage points to 67.6% in 2018. (See graph below for state by state breakdown)<\/p>\n

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Proportion of people with disability aged 15-64 years old who have had face-to-face contact with ex-household family or friends in the previous week, Total with disability (a) (a) For the NT in 2018, confidence intervals are not available as the proportion that have profound or severe disability has a relative standard error greather than 50 per cent. Source: Report on Government Services 2023 | PART F, SECTION 15: RELEASED ON 24 JANUARY 2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

The proportion who reported the main reason for not leaving home as often as they would like due to their disability or condition increased from 12.7 per cent in 2009 to 16.3 per cent in 2018.<\/p>\n

How can this be changed?<\/p>\n

One way is to make sure that people are aware of particular travel passes and programs that people with a disability can sign up for. In this blog, we\u2019ll be taking a look at two of them: the Companion Card and the Access Travel Pass.<\/p>\n

Together, these cards make it easier to navigate public transport and join in events and attend venues.<\/p>\n

What are they? Who\u2019s eligible? How do you apply? Let\u2019s get stuck in.<\/p>\n

What is a Companion Card?<\/h2>\n

The Companion Card is a national program aimed at people with a permanent and significant disability who need a carer with them when they go to particular activities. The cardholder\u2019s support person is allowed free entry into participating events and venues.<\/p>\n

The card is the size of a credit card with the name and photo of the person with the disability. When the cardholder goes to a participating event or venue and purchases a ticket, their carer will be granted free entry.<\/p>\n

Companion Card Eligibility<\/h2>\n

Anybody with a permanent and significant disability is eligible. It\u2019s not means tested; once you have the card, you have it for life. To successfully apply, you must:<\/p>\n