Accessible transportation Guidance and Resources

The Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations require terminal operators to provide a designated service dog relief area located outside the terminal as well as a designated relief area on the secure side of the terminal, which can be reached by means of a path of travel that is accessible to persons with disabilities and that does not require the person to exit and re-enter the secure area. This document provides best practices for terminal operators, to assist them in designing relief areas on the secure side that could best meet the needs of persons who travel with service dogs and their dogs.

This guide sets out:

• Best practices broadly applicable to persons with disabilities; and
• Best practices for interacting with persons who:
  • are blind or partially sighted;
  • have a communication disability;
  • are deaf-blind;
  • are Deaf, deafened or hard of hearing;
  • have an intellectual, cognitive or learning disability;
  • have an episodic disability;
  • have a mental health disability; and
  • have a mobility impairment.

A plain language summary of the Best Practices for Interacting with Persons with Disabilities Guide is available.

A core mandate of the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) is to protect this right. Under Part V of the Canada Transportation Act, transportation service providers are required to ensure, up to the point of undue hardship, that barriers to persons with disabilities are removed, so those persons have equal access to the federal transportation network. The CTA’s roles are to make accessibility-related regulations and resolve accessibility-related disputes between travellers with disabilities and transportation service providers.

This resource tool provides information on how to file a complaint regarding an undue barrier experienced by a person with a disability in the federal transportation network. It explains the approaches the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) uses in resolving accessible transportation complaints.

This guide explains:

• Who is covered by the additional seating obligations;
• What kind of assistance carriers must give to passengers with disabilities who need additional seats;
• The One Person, One Fare requirement for domestic travel;
• The responsibilities of passengers with disabilities who need additional seats; and
• Travel tips for passengers with disabilities who need additional seats.

This guide explains:

• The services for which no advance notice is needed;
• The services for which a carrier can request advance notice, information and/or documents from a person with a disability;
• What kinds of documents or information a carrier may request from a person with a disability;
• How much advance notice a person with a disability must give when requesting services; and
• What a carrier must do if the traveller doesn’t provide advance notice, documents or information.

This guide explains:

• What are tactile row markers;
• Obligations of air, rail, marine (ferry) and bus carriers concerning:
  • Services for persons with disabilities who need assistance locating their seat; and
  • Technical requirements for tactile row markers on aircraft, trains, ferries and buses; and
  • Responsibilities of persons with disabilities who need assistance locating their seat.

A plain language summary of the Assistance for Locating Passenger Seats and Tactile Row Markers Guide is available.

This guide explains the obligations of transportation service providers:

• what information they must publish;
• their obligation to provide information in alternative formats; and
• more specific communication obligations related to:
  • individual communication needs;
  • telephone calls;
  • websites;
  • public announcements inside terminals; and
  • automated self-service kiosks.

This guide explains:

• What kind of assistance operators and carriers must provide, including information to be published; and
• Curbside assistance tips for passengers.

This guide explains:

• the accessibility of on-board entertainment equipment;
• services for passengers with disabilities who want to access on-board entertainment;
• publishing information on on-board entertainment services and any related conditions; and
• personnel training related to on-board entertainment.

This guide explains:

• Which transportation service provider personnel must be trained;
• The topics that training programs must cover;
• Timelines for training;
• Supervision of untrained personnel;
• The duty to inform personnel of new developments impacting persons with disabilities;
• The preparation of training programs, including consultation with persons with disabilities; and
• The provision of information about training programs on request.

A plain language summary of the Personnel Training for the Assistance of Travellers with Disabilities Guide is available.

This guide explains:

• Services to assist travellers with disabilities during security screening;
• Security screening of travellers with disabilities travelling with an assistive device, mobility aid, support person, or service dog;
• Services to assist travellers with disabilities during the border clearance process; and
• Signage under the control of CATSA and CBSA.

A plain language summary of the Requirements Applicable to the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority and the Canada Border Services Agency Guide is available.

This guide explains:

• What is considered to be a service dog;
• What kind of assistance transportation service providers must give to persons who travel with a service dog;
• What are the conditions associated with travelling with a service dog; and
• Travel tips for persons who travel with a service dog.

This guide explains :

• Who is considered to be a person with a disability due to a severe allergy;
• What kind of assistance carriers must provide to a person with a disability due to a severe allergy; and
• Travel tips for persons with disabilities due to severe allergies.

This guide explains:

• What is considered to be a service dog;
• Carriers' obligations to transport service dogs;
• Factors to consider when determining the amount of floor space to transport service dogs; and
• The approximate amount of floor space required for service dogs.

This guide offers tips on:

• Making arrangements to receive help before your trip
• Moving through the terminal, check-in, security and boarding
• Planning for support persons, mobility aids, service dogs and allergies
• Preparing for your onboard needs
• Disembarking, clearing customs and arranging transportation
• Resolving problems

The purpose of this guide is to explain TSPs' obligations under the Accessible Transportation Planning and Reporting Regulations (ATPRR) with respect to accessibility plans. In particular, this guide explains:

• The principles of accessibility and key terms;
• The preparation of accessibility plans, including consulting persons with disabilities;
• The contents of accessibility plans;
• The requirements for the publication of accessibility plans; and,
• Best practices related to accessibility plans.

A plain language summary of the Accessible Canada Act and the Accessible Transportation Planning and Reporting Regulations: A Guide on Accessibility Plans is available.

The purpose of this guide is to explain transportation service providers’ (TSPs) obligations under the Accessible Transportation Planning and Reporting Regulations (ATPRR) with respect to feedback processes. In particular, this guide explains:

• The feedback process requirements for TSPs under the ATPRR and the Accessible Canada Act (ACA);
• The requirements for publishing a description of the feedback process; and,
• Best practices related to the feedback process.

A plain language summary of the Accessible Canada Act and Accessible Transportation Planning and Reporting Regulations: A Guide on Feedback Processes is available.

The purpose of this guide is to explain TSPs’ obligations under the Accessible Transportation Planning and Reporting Regulations with respect to the development of progress reports. In particular, this guide explains:

• The contents of progress reports;
• The preparation of progress reports, including consulting persons with disabilities;
• The requirements for the publication of progress reports; and,
• Best practices related to progress reports.

A plain language summary of the Accessible Canada Act and the Accessible Transportation Planning and Reporting Regulations: A Guide on Progress Reports is available.

The Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations (ATPDR) provide a set of clear, consistent and specific accessibility requirements for transportation service providers. The regulations cover many parts of the travel experience, including services, equipment, facilities, communications, training, and security and border screening.

This guide describes:

• What mobility aids and other assistive devices are covered by the ATPDR;
• Obligations of transportation service providers concerning:
  • Services for travellers who use mobility aids and other assistive devices;
  • The accessibility of transportation equipment and terminals for travellers who use mobility aids and other assistive devices;
  • Publishing information on services and related conditions;
  • Retaining information and documentation for future trips; and
  • Personnel training.
• Responsibilities of travellers who use mobility aids and other assistive devices; and
• Tips for travellers who use mobility aids and other assistive devices.

The CTA is considering extending elements of the existing Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations (ATPDR) to small Transportation Service Providers (STSPs) in a second phase (Phase II) of the ATPDR. Currently, the ATPDR covers larger transportation service providers, such as airlines that transported over 1 million passengers in each of the last two calendar years. STSPs are not currently covered by the ATPDR.

Air travel is global – but from one country to another, there are different standards for accessibility. The variation in what level of accessible travel to expect – ranging from state of the art and innovative to very low– is challenging for both passengers and airlines. The CTA is actively working with stakeholders to raise the profile of accessible transportation in global air travel.

In the context of an accessibility complaint, the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) may award compensation for pain and suffering and compensation if an undue barrier or contravention of an accessibility-related regulation is the result of a willful or reckless practice.

COVID-19 has caused major impacts on travel. As operations gradually resume, it is important to ensure that accessibility considerations are fully taken into account in the planning and changes to services. Here are some tips for transportation service providers and persons with disabilities to keep in mind during these challenging times..

Chair and CEO Keynote Address to the IATA Global Accessibility Symposium – October 27, 2020

The Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations (ATDPR) require carriers to accept transporting, under certain conditions, service dogs and allow them to accompany the person onboard. This applies to dogs that have been individually trained by organizations or persons specializing in service dog training to perform tasks to assist a person with a disability with a need related to their disability.

In recent years, the Agency has received a number of complaints from travellers regarding the transportation of other animals that provide emotional support , which typically do not have the same level of training as service dogs. To further its understanding of the considerations applicable to the transport of animals onboard the various modes of transportation, the Agency commissioned an Expert Report on the Carriage of Emotional Support Animals On Board Transportation Equipment.

Beginning in 2021, in collaboration with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) mobilized an International Working Group to target the current challenges associated with the use of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Special Service Request (SSR) codes in the air travel industry. This initiative included three virtual meetings that invited a wide variety of stakeholders to discuss the various factors that may be influencing issues related to SSR codes, and work together to produce recommendations and future research. The International Working Group members included disability rights organizations and advocacy groups, airlines, airport representatives, regulators and government representatives, travel agents, ground handlers and other interested stakeholders. The International Working Group had many areas of common agreement and identified issues that require additional discussion and research. The six areas of agreement for recommendations on improving SSR codes and associated processes hold a central theme; increase passenger empowerment through raised awareness of the assistance services.

On June 25, 2020, the Canadian Transportation Agency's (CTA) new Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations (ATPDR) came into force. They establish modern legally binding requirements for accessible services, technical standards for equipment, communications, training, and security and border screening. Building on these new regulations, the CTA launched public consultations on a second phase of the ATPDR, relating to requirements for small transportation service providers (TSPs), One Person, One Fare (1P1F) for international travel, emotional support animals (ESAs) and planning and reporting frameworks for TSPs under the Accessible Canada Act (ACA).

On November 26, 2020, the CTA released a "What We Heard" report, summarizing the input received during its consultations on Phase II of its Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations (ATPDR).

The CTA has published the Summary of the evidence received by the Agency on ESAs in 2019 which provides a more extensive summary of the information provided during the consultations on Phase II of the ATPDR regarding ESAs.

The safe handling of mobility aids including wheelchairs has been identified as a key topic to advance air travel accessibility. Some individuals who use a mobility aid (particularly a battery-powered wheelchair or scooter), may be IATA Guidance on the Transport of Mobility Aids – First Edition, February 2023 reluctant to travel by air due to concerns of damage to their mobility aid, difficulties in stowing the aid safely in the cargo compartment, or delays associated with the return of the mobility aid to the passenger.

To face these issues, in 2021, IATA launched a global Mobility Aids Action Group (MAAG) to examine and improve the transport journey of mobility aids, including wheelchairs and scooters, with the objective of improving the handling of this vital equipment for passengers with disabilities.

As part of its Regulatory Modernization Initiative, the CTA consulted extensively with persons with disabilities and industry, including members of its Accessibility Advisory Committee, as well as the general public, on which regulatory measures can help make the federal transportation network more accessible for persons with disabilities. Issues related to the safe storage and transportation of mobility aids on aircraft were identified as needing further examination as mobility devices have grown in size and complexity. As a result, the Agency launched an initiative that included the formation of an international working group (IWG) which developed recommendations related to these issues.

As a follow up to the Mobility Aids and Air Travel Final Report, the CTA, Transport Canada and the National Research Council collaborated to further study some of the issues identified in that Report. This included the identification of functional and performance guidelines as well as best practices for the airlines and other stakeholders on the securement or containment of mobility aids in the cargo compartment.