“We have recently received two reports of people with disability being left unattended in vehicles that could easily have ended in tragedy,” he said. In both cases, community members called police who promptly intervened. 

In one case, a person with disability was locked in a vehicle around midday for at least 50 minutes when the temperature was 38 degrees. The person had to be transported to hospital.

‘One of my responsibilities is to educate the community about what is required of disability service providers in their treatment of clients’, Mr Barnes said. He called on the public to be vigilant and to take action when necessary.

‘The community is increasingly aware of the dangers of leaving children unattended in vehicles. However, it is important for people to recognise that this type of neglect can expose vulnerable adults with disabilities to the same risks of dehydration, heatstroke and even death’, Mr Barnes said. 

‘Call 000, or if it’s an emergency, take steps to open the vehicle’, Mr Barnes urged.