About Companion Card

Applying for a card

How and where to use your card

FAQs

Current list of affiliated
businesses and organisations


Organisation and Business
Affiliate Handbook

What is it?

The Companion Card is a tool to assist organisations and businesses that charge an admission or participation fee to comply with existing anti-discrimination legislation.

The Companion Card is issued to people with a significant, permanent disability, who can demonstrate that they are unable to access most community activities and venues without attendant care support.

The card contains a photograph of the cardholder and is presented when booking or purchasing tickets or entering a venue.

Why has it been developed?

The Companion Card has been developed:

• To promote the existing right of people with a disability to fair ticketing;
• As a tool to assist industry to comply with existing legislation; and
• As a simple and consistent method of identifying people who legitimately require attendant care support to participate at venues and activities.

In the past, a person with a disability who required attendant care type support from a companion in order to participate at venues/activities has been required to pay two admission and/or booking fees; one for themselves and one for their companion. This practice is discriminatory because it has the effect of doubling the admission and/or booking price for the person with a disability.

A number of venue/activity operators have attempted to address this inequity and have allowed free admission for companions. Until the Companion Card, however, organisations have not had a consistent service or product to verify who may legitimately require a companion.

The Companion Card program provides for the first time in Australia, a systemic response to a long standing problem for both people with disabilities and those working in the entertainment and leisure industries.
It is important to understand that the Companion Card is a tool that facilitates existing rights and legislation; it is not a new responsibility, discount scheme, concession or benefit.

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Legislation

Information on Disability Discrimination and Your Rights & Responsibilities

People with a disability who require attendant care support to participate at community venues and activities have a right to equal participation in the community. This fundamental right is protected under two pieces of legislation;

1. The Western Australian Equal Opportunity Act (1984); and
2. The Australian Government’s Disability Discrimination Act (1992).

A number of venue/activity operators have attempted to address this inequity and have allowed free admission for companions. Until the Companion Card, however, there has not been a consistent service or product to verify who may legitimately require a companion for attendant care support at venues and events.

Information on Disability Discrimination and Your Rights & Responsibilities

Disability Discrimination is unlawful under state and federal laws. The following websites may be useful if you are unsure of what may or may not be considered discriminatory, or for organisations and businesses that require other information regarding disabilities, or industry policy and practices.

the Disability Services Commission - www.dsc.wa.gov.au
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission – www.hreoc.gov.au
The Western Australian Equal Opportunity Commission- www.eoc.wa.gov.au

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