WWDWA Inc spoke at the inquiry here in Perth at the beginning of April. We will also be preparing a written submission. If you would like to have your experiences with violence and abuse heard, you can write your own submission and send it to the Senate. If you are unable to do this and would still like your experiences heard by the Senate, WWDWA Inc is happy to include them in our report in your own words. You don’t have to use your name and your submissions can be as short or as long as you want. Please email rayna@wwdwa.org.au or call 9244 7463. Submissions are due by the end of June, but we will be asking to have ours due by late August.

There are two female taxi drivers here in Perth, both currently working for Swan Taxis.
Zoe – 0433 489 811 – South of the river
Noeline – 0401 950 884 – North of the river

They both drive Maxi Taxis and do wheelchair work, group bookings and and airport bookings. If they are unable to take your job themselves they can recommend other taxi drivers that are trustworthy.

Bella – 0412 474 940 – Black & White Maxi Taxi – mornings

Some of you may have heard about the taxi driver who was recently charged with sexually assaulting women with disabilities who were passengers in his Maxi Taxi. If you haven’t, or don’t know much about what happened, you can read the following links for more information:

Taxi Driver Charged With Sexually Assaulting Disabled Woman

Cabbie Admits To Raping Passengers

An Unlikely Hero

Sexual assault is a very difficult thing to talk about. Especially for women with disabilities. But as hard as it is, we need to talk about it. We need to talk about how it affects us. We need to talk about what could have been done to prevent the assaults, we need to talk about what would make us feel and be safer. Often the solutions that are provided by service providers and the able-bodied community are ones that just make us feel more silenced and vulnerable.

So this is the time for us to speak up, not as individuals, but as a group, as many voices with different experiences, but with the same desire to feel safe in our lives in our community. But we need to talk to each other before we can have an effective voice, for so many of us it is too frightening and overwhelming to do it on our own.

WWDWA Inc Members, how would you like to have this conversation? Would you prefer to have a forum about this, or have a survey you can answer without giving your name, or contact WWDWA Inc privately to give your thoughts and ideas? Or is there some other way you would feel comfortable in telling us your story? What would make you feel safer when travelling by taxi?

Contact us and let us know what you think.

What do you want us to tell government departments, service providers and the community?

The research seeks information from mainstream and specialist prevention and response policy making, representative and service provider organisations across domestic violence/sexual assault, disability services and other relevant service sectors including the criminal justice and victims support sectors in all states and territories, particularly in regards to their views and experience of policy and practice relevant to violence prevention and response for women and girls with disabilities. For more information or to participate in the project, please visit Stop The Violence Survey