International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2021

Today is International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD). Since 1992, the IDPD has been celebrated worldwide every year on December 3, in order to promote the integration and access to economic, social and political life of persons with disabilities.

On behalf of the Canadian Transportation Agency, I would like to acknowledge the importance of this day and reaffirm our commitment to one of our core mandates: to protect the fundamental human right of persons with disabilities to accessible transportation services.

This year the Government of Canada’s IDPD theme is "Courageous conversations for a more equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible future”. More than 6 million Canadians aged 15 and over have a disability (22% of the population) and it is crucial that as we look to the future and begin to recover from the pandemic we build back with accessibility in mind and that those people impacted are included in developing the solutions.

Taking accessibility into account in our transportation system not only increases the well-being of people with a disability and their inclusion in all spheres of society, but also makes our system more flexible and agile. Ensuring accessibility is about recognizing the worth and dignity of each person. It is about allowing everyone lives of autonomy and choice. It is about respecting the fundamental right to equal access.

That is why we want to work with all stakeholders to ensure progress continues to be made towards a more accessible and barrier-free transportation system.

In closing, I would like to thank the Accessibility Advisory Committee members for their continued support and contributions in helping us advance our mandate.

France Pégeot
Chair & CEO
Canadian Transportation Agency