Kinetic helps amplify Travellers Aid’s message of inclusion across Melbourne
Traveller’s Aid has launched a new advertising campaign championing inclusion across Melbourne and encouraging young people with disabilities to get out and make the most of the city.
The campaign highlights the support available to help people with disabilities enjoy life on their terms. Kinetic is backing the outdoor ad campaign with a donation of $125,000 in digital and bus advertising space.
The campaign features disability advocate and podcaster Peta Hooke who says it’s not always easy for an independent young person to ask for support.
“I think it’s very common for people with disability to feel like we’re in the way or it can be quite a challenge to even consider yourself as someone who needs support or assistance,” Peta says.
“Speaking for myself as somebody with an obvious disability and who is very proud to be a disabled person, it does take me a lot to ask for support.”
Peta says she agreed to front the campaign because she loves Melbourne and wants people with disability to be able to access all the great venues and events it offers.
Graham Smith, Executive General Manager, VIC/NSW/TAS said Kinetic was proud to support Travellers Aid through its community partnership program.
"We connect people to opportunities through school, work and friends and family, and our services must be accessible to everyone,” Graham says.
“Our partnership with Travellers Aid is about reducing barriers to travel and ensuring everyone can be confident to use our services. We’re proud to support this campaign and efforts to encourage people of all abilities to use bus services to get where they need to go.”
Travellers Aid’s support hubs at Southern Cross and Flinders Street stations offer a range of services to travellers including include buggy or wheelchair assistance within stations, accessible bathrooms, meal heating facilities, and mobility equipment hire. Visitors can also use the support hubs as a quiet place to rest.
In addition to supporting Travellers Aid with free outdoor advertising space, Kinetic Customer Service Officers have completed specialised disability awareness training offered by Travellers Aid to better support customers with disabilities using its bus services.
Travellers Aid are also a member of Kinetic’s Accessibility Reference Group which provides advice on making its bus services more accessible and inclusive to people of all abilities.
Earlier this year, Kinetic joined the global Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program, which aims to better support passengers with invisible disabilities.
Customer experience teams from Kinetic’s iconic airport express business SkyBus and broader bus network in Tasmania and Melbourne also now proudly wear a Sunflower supporter badge to signal they are familiar with the program.
Peta hopes young people with disability will see Travellers Aid’s ad campaign as encouragement to seize every opportunity to live life on their terms.
“I really hope that people can simply say ‘yes’ to living their life the way they want to and not be restricted because of access barriers that many of us face every day,” she says.
“I’m really excited that organisations like Travellers Aid exist and that they’re helping us be able to access the community just like everybody else.”
Further enquiries
Justin Rogers
Manager Communication, Stakeholder and Customer – NSW/VIC/TAS
0419 230 242
justin.rogers@wearekinetic.com.au