Plain language summary accessible transportation persons with disabilities regulations

ASL version of A plain language summary of the Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations

End of ASL videos - A plain language summary of the Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations

 

Introduction

  • The CTA protects the fundamental right of persons with disabilities to accessible transportation services. Transportation service providers include companies that operate planes, ferries, trains and buses that travel long distances.
  • Transportation service providers also include terminals, like airports, ferry terminals, train stations, and bus stations, as well as ports where cruise ships dock.

We have new rules for transportation providers. The rules are called the “Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations”.

What do the ATPDR say?

Here are some things the ATPDR tell transportation service providers.

  • How to communicate with travellers with disabilities.
  • What help to give travellers with disabilities.
  • How to make terminal buildings accessible.
  • How to make planes, ferries, trains, and buses accessible.
  • How to train transportation workers to help travellers with disabilities.

Communicating with Travellers with Disabilities

Transportation service providers must give travellers with disabilities information and make information accessible.

Here are some things transportation providers have to do.

  • Terminals have to give information about how the terminal is accessible and how they help travellers with disabilities.
  • Carriers (airplane, train, ferry, and bus companies) have to say what sizes of mobility aids (for example, wheelchairs) they can carry and what help they give to travellers with disabilities.
  • Carriers have to keep information about the traveller's accessibility needs for as long as three years, if the traveller asks them to.
  • Carriers have to make accessible: their websites, apps, reservation systems, and kiosks used for things like checking-in and obtaining boarding passes.

Help for Travellers with Disabilities (Services)

Transportation service providers are required to provide helpful services to travellers with disabilities.

Here are some things transportation service providers have to do as of June 25, 2020.

  • Carriers (airplane, train, ferry, and bus companies) have to let people travel with their service dog.
  • Carriers have to let people with severe allergies sit away from things they are allergic to.
  • Carriers have to give people extra seats at no extra cost while they travel in Canada, if they need them for their disability. For example, someone might need a seat for their support person.

As of January 1, 2021, terminals will have to help people arriving at the terminal get from the curb outside to the check-in area inside. They will also have to help people leaving the terminal get from the terminal to the curb.

Help for Travellers with Disabilities (Security)

Security officials who work at terminals have to help travellers with disabilities.

Security screening officials ask travellers to go through metal detectors and put luggage through x-ray machines before they get on a plane. Different workers, who are called border officials, ask travellers to show their identification documents and make a declaration about their travel after they finish a trip outside of Canada. Border officials are also security officials.

Here are some things security officials have to do.

  • Help a traveller with a disability if the traveller asks.
  • Let a traveller with a disability use a faster line-up if waiting in line is hard for the traveller because of their disability.
  • Keep travellers and their disability aids together, if possible. If a security official has to take a disability aid away, for example to x-ray it, the official must bring it back to the traveller right away.

Making buildings, planes, trains, ferries, and buses accessible

Transportation service providers have to make new buildings, planes, trains, ferries, and buses accessible.

Here are some things providers have to do starting June 25, 2020.

  • Terminals have to make sure renovations to an existing building or new buildings that are built are accessible.
  • Carriers (airplane, trains, ferry and bus company) have to make sure that the new equipment they buy is accessible

Here are some things that providers will have to do starting January 1, 2020

  • Terminals have to have relief areas for service dogs.
  • Carriers (airplane, train, ferry, and bus companies) have to make the onboard entertainment system for movies and music accessible.

Training Transportation Workers – Effective January 1, 2021

Transportation service providers must train their workers to help travellers with disabilities. This includes airport workers and people who work on airplanes, ferries, trains, and long-distance buses.

Here is some of the training they require.

  • Workers have to be trained to help travellers with disabilities get through the terminal building and get on and off the plane, train, ferry or bus.
  • Workers have to be trained to provide help during the traveller's trip on the plane, train, ferry or bus.
  • Workers have to be trained to help travellers with disabilities use check-in kiosks and onboard entertainment systems for watching movies and listening to music.
  • Transportation service providers must ask people with disabilities for their ideas when they create training for their workers.

How will the regulations be enforced?

The CTA will enforce all the rules in the ATPDR.

  • We could make a transportation service provider who breaks the rules pay the government up to $250,000.
  • Based on a complaint with the CTA, we could also award a person with compensation if they experienced physical or psychological pain and suffering because a transportation service provider contravened the regulations.

Are the regulations for every transportation provider?

The ATPDR are mainly for big transportation service providers. This means some transportation service providers do not have to follow these regulations.

  • For example, small carriers that operate planes, trains, ferries or buses and very small terminals would not have to follow the ATPDR.

Small transportation providers do have to follow some rules, such as doing some training for their staff. We are now looking at how to improve the rules for small transportation service providers

In the meantime, people with disabilities can still complain to us if they have problems with small transportation service providers and terminals. We offer different services to help solve these problems.

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