Please see this section for information on concession opportunities for those diagnosed or caring for someone with Smith-Magenis Syndrome.
QANTAS CARER CONCESSION CARD
The Qantas Carer Concession Card (administered by PWA) can be issued to people with disAbilities, requiring support of a full-time carer while traveling on a plane . Essentially this means any person requiring one-on-one support with meals/drinks, toileting, orientation and communication with flight staff is eligible to apply for this card. For more information and to apply, please visit this site: http://www.pwd.org.au/what-we-do/qantascarerconcession.html.
COMPANION CARD
The Companion Card promotes the rights of people with a disability, who require a companion, to fair ticketing at events and venues. The Companion card is a National program administered by the state you live in. There is no cost besides obtaining two passport photographs of your child and postage for submission your application. Generally speaking, the card covers the admission fee/ticket of the carer (one adult) when accompanying the individual with the disAbility (your SMS’er). As the card is administered on state basis, what the card covers is defined by events and venues within that state. Please note that if you have a card issued by one state (e.g. Victoria), you can use it when travelling in another state (e.g. Queensland – visiting places like Australia Zoo, Gold Coast Theme Parks etc.). Please see the below links to the appropriate website by state:
- Australian Capital Territory: (02) 6207 1086
- New South Wales: 1800 893 044
- Northern Territory: 1800 139 656
- Queensland: 13 QGOV (13 74 68)
- South Australia: 1800 667 110
- Tasmania: 1800 009 501
- Victoria: 1800 650 611
- Western Australia: 1800 617 337
CARER MEMBERSHIPS
The Carer Membership or Carer Card, available in some states, are Carer concession programs focussed on giving recognition, understanding and support to carers – often via providing discounts on goods and services at participating businesses. These memberships and/or cards are free of charge, however some of the organisations encourage/welcome donations. These state-based carer memberships and/or cards are not national programs and they only apply to the state that you live in. Queensland and Victoria appear to have the most comprehensive concession programs. You can find details applicable to applicable states below. Those states not listed have other valuable services but do not provide specific business/services concessions for carers: