Brendon consulting for Smart Ticketing

Brendon Donohue, from Brisbane, has been participating as a QDeNgage consultant on the Accessibility Stakeholder Working Group for Translink’s Smart Ticketing project. This group is working with the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads to provide advice and feedback on the accessibility and inclusivity of the new ticketing system.

Brendon wanted to get involved in this consultation process because he believes “it is an important part of redesigning the network and will create easier access in and out of the stations.”

QDeNgage is an initiative of Queenslanders with Disability Network (QDN), connecting businesses, government departments, and organisations to people with lived experience of disability to provide feedback, advice and information. QDN facilitates many consultations through their work so that their members and the community can have a say in how to make Queensland an accessible and safe community. Brendon believes “it is always good to consult with users with a range of experience as it makes the product more accessible for everyone,” he believes if consultation is done properly before changes are made to the system “it will make the product last longer because everyone will be able to use it”.

Brendon is totally blind, and had a particular interest in this consultation as it directly affected the way he interacts with the public transport system and improves his day-to-day travels. “The part that I found particularly important was the new feature that has been designed where it automatically picks up my phone or go card at the end of the tactile ground surface indicators, which will end just before the gate. This feature will make accessibility much more simple and easier to get going.”

“Being able to provide input into this solution with Translink will make accessibility much easier in the future.” Brendon Donohue

If you want to know more about QDeNgage head to https://qdn.org.au/our-work/qdengage/