By Eric Stober Global News
Posted May 27, 2023

Advocates say the Canadian government needs to talk less and act more on addressing shortcomings in accommodating those with disabilities on air flights and in airports.

Disability Inclusion Minister Carla Qualtrough and Transport Minister Omar Alghabra met with the National Airlines Council of Canada to discuss the issues, according to a statement released Thursday.

Qualtrough said the council has committed to focusing on disability and inclusion training and to improving the transportation and care of mobility devices.

She also said that the federal government will “enhance regulations” to improve services, as well as host a Summit on Disability Inclusive Air Travel, which she said will include Canadian airlines and airport authorities.

Less Talk, More Action: Advocates Critical of Feds’ Update on Disability Air Services full article

by Shaun Heasley | May 9, 2023

A bipartisan group of lawmakers is looking to institute new requirements in order to make air travel easier for passengers with disabilities.

Legislation introduced this month in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives calls for the Department of Transportation to research the technical and financial feasibility of allowing individuals to remain in their wheelchairs during flights.

In addition, the bill would require the secretary of transportation to issue rules mandating that airlines publish dimensions of their cargo holds so that people with disabilities can determine whether or not their wheelchairs and other mobility devices will fit on a particular aircraft. The Transportation Department would also be tasked with evaluating the frequency and types of damage incurred by wheelchairs and scooters during air travel.

Lawmakers Seek To Improve Air Travel For People With Disabilities full article

WOLF DEPNERMay. 1, 2023

Provincial grants worth $2.6 million promises to improve transportation for British Columbians with accessibility challenges.

Minister of Transportation Rob Fleming said the grants will help 51 tax companies across the province reduce maintenance costs for nearly 400 wheelchair-accessible taxis.

“Reducing the costs of maintaining wheelchair-accessible taxis will keep existing vehicles on the road in good condition and encourage more supply,” Fleming said. “It will also make it easier for companies to recruit and retain drivers for these vehicles, making sure more people will have access to these specialized taxis province-wide.”

The Passenger Transportation Accessibility Program Maintenance Rebate launched in January 2023.

Province Ramps Up Funding for 51 Companies Operating Wheelchair-Accessible Cabs full article

Author of the article:Cam Tait
Published Apr 17, 2023

There is a specific phrase or observation which describes hearing nothing. Silence. Crickets. Nothing.

The myth suggests that when we dont hear bands playing in wonderful rhythm, or news conferences, or some bellowing from a building, it is a good thing. Silence is golden, they once sang.

But we want to hear noise in the case of the Dedicated Accessible Transit Service drivers still waiting to ink a new contract. Memo to city council, The clock is loudly clicking and my right foot is tapping faster.

TAIT: DATS Contract Talks Show City Doesn’t Care About People With Disabilities and Their Services full article

Gary Mason
NATIONAL AFFAIRS COLUMNIST
PUBLISHED APRIL 6, 2023

Parisians’ affair with e-scooters appears to be fini.

In a recent plebiscite on the question: “For or against self-service scooters” nearly 90 per cent cast a ballot in favour of banning the trottinettes, which Mayor Anne Hidalgo promised to do in the fall.

The scooters have become a source of contention around the world. The French capital was one of the first to embrace them after their debut in California in 2017. Paris promoted them a year later as a new and exciting, non-polluting form of public transport.

The Rising Tide of Anger Against the e-Scooter full article

By Jasmine King Global News
Posted April 12, 2023

Leaving a venue after a concert ends tends to be hectic, no matter where you are. However, the ride home can be a lot more stressful for someone who uses a wheelchair.

This happened to two West Kelowna, B.C., residents who were left stranded after they were told no accessible taxis were available.

When Hannah Desrochers and Kyle Hindley went to a concert in Vancouver at the end of March they were able to get a wheelchair accessible ride to the show.

However, when the performance ended it was a different story.

Pair Left Stranded in Vancouver Due to Lack of Wheelchair-Accessible Cabs full article

03-27-2023 3:23 pm Pax Global Media

Two-thirds of people with disabilities faced barriers on federally regulated planes and trains in 2019 and 2020, according to a report released by Canada’s auditor general on Monday (March 27).

Two Thirds of Canadians With Disabilities Face Barriers on Planes, Trains full article

People with disabilities are forced to plan extensively when to travel, how to travel, who to travel with and what resources they need to complete the journey.
JOHN STANG | CROSSCUT & AINSLEY HUGHES | THE CONVERSATION OP-ED MARCH 21, 2023

This article originally appeared in The Conversation Australia.

People with disabilities arguably stand to gain the most from good public transport, but are continually excluded by transport systems that still aren’t adapted to their needs as the law requires. One in six people aged 15 and over with disability have difficulty using some or all forms of public transport. One in seven are not able to use public transport at all.

On-Demand Buses Can Transform Travel And Daily Life For People With Disabilities full article

Posted: Mar. 17, 2023
JAXSON CREASEY/SUBMITTED

Jaxson Creasey was looking forward to his flight to Victoria for weeks, but the mood quickly shifted when he was denied boarding a Lynx Air flight due to his accessibility device.

Creasey moved to Calgary from Victoria in October and was on his way back to the Island for a few very important reasons.

“I was actually supposed to pick up a new wheelchair, this was a very important trip then I had to cancel two days’ worth of appointments,” Creasey told CHEK News. “I moved here in October, I haven’t seen my best friends in six months, I was so excited. And this ruined all of that when it was preventable.”

Man Denied Flight to Victoria on Lynx Air Due to Accessibility Device full article

By Darrian Matassa-Fung Global News
Posted February 1, 2023

Community members around B.C. who use wheelchairs or have other accessibility needs will soon have better access to taxis.

The B.C. government has announced that additional funding has been allocated to launch its Passenger Transportation Accessibility Program.

The program will help offset the extra costs that taxi owner-operators face in providing wheelchair-accessible vehicles, which will help to increase the number of accessible taxis available,” Ministry of Transportation staff said in a release.

The minister of transportation, Rob Fleming, said the new program will help facilitate a stronger transportation system that will make it easier for those living with accessibility issues to get around their communities.

B.C. Announces Funding Program to Support More Accessible Taxis full article