Compliance Report: Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport

Background

The Canadian Transportation Agency (Agency) is responsible for ensuring that undue obstacles to the mobility of persons with disabilities are removed from air and federal rail, ferry and bus services and facilities. It seeks to remove these obstacles by:

• administering regulations and codes of practice;
• educating the transportation industry and the community of persons with disabilities about their rights and responsibilities; and
• ruling on accessibility-related disputes and ordering corrective measures as required

In addition to enforcement measures, the Agency ensures compliance with its rulings, regulations and codes of practice through periodic monitoring exercises. The Agency has adopted a risk-based approach for monitoring compliance and works closely with industry and other parties to assist them in addressing instances of non-compliance.

As part of its regular monitoring, the Agency assessed the compliance level of the Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (Montréal Airport).

This report describes the results of this monitoring.

What was assessed

The Agency assessed the Montréal Airport's compliance with key provisions in the Code of Practice: Passenger Terminal Accessibility (Terminal Code), the Code of Practice: Removing Communication Barriers for Travellers with Disabilities (Communication Code), as well as provisions in the Personnel Training for the Assistance of Persons with Disabilities Regulations (PTR), that pertain to:

• accessibility features of the Montréal Airport facilities;
• administrative services (e.g., how information on available services is provided on the day of travel and on the airport's website);
• accessibility awareness training of staff and any contracted personnel who interact with persons with disabilities.

How the monitoring was done

Agency staff conducted a site inspection to assess the Montréal Airport's compliance with the above noted codes of practice. Agency staff also met with airport personnel to review its policies and procedures regarding the provision of services to persons with disabilities, as required by the PTR.

Findings of the monitoring exercise

The results of the monitoring exercise show that the Montréal Airport is compliant with most of the accessibility standards that were assessed.

In terms of the exterior features of the Montréal Airport, there is signage indicating accessible parking in the multi-level parking lot located near the terminal. In addition, designated areas identified by the universal symbol of access are located near the entrances so that vehicles may temporarily stop to pick-up and drop-off persons with disabilities. Located near the multi-level parking facility is a clearly identified designated area where service animals can relieve themselves. Airport staff are informed about the location of the relieving area and trained to assist people who use service animals.

In terms of the interior features, the Montréal Airport has undergone and continues to undergo major improvements designed to increase the terminal's capacity, enhance the level of passenger services and maintain the existing facilities in good condition. The Montréal Airport has undertaken to ensure continued compliance with the Agency's standards as upgrades or renovations are planned.

The terminal entrances on the arrivals level are equipped with oversized revolving doors with buttons that reduce the rotation speed of the doors, improving access for everyone including persons with disabilities. Most signage throughout the airport is well placed and easily visible. Telephones and information counters are available near airport entrances for passengers to obtain information or request assistance when needed. Accessible ground transportation, such as adapted taxis, can be requested from the dispatchers located at the information counters. In addition, airport patrol officers, located outside the airport on both the arrivals and departures levels, can arrange for accessible ground transportation or provide assistance to passengers at all times.

The Montréal Airport's washrooms are compliant with the Canadian Standards Association's Accessible Design for the Built Environment (B651) standards referenced in the Agency's Terminal Code. For example, they have lowered counters, automatic faucets and soap dispensers and at least one designated accessible stall.

In older sections of the terminal, signage at some of the washrooms is not uniformly accessible. For example, some signage is incorrectly positioned or does not include braille or tactile characters. The Montréal Airport is planning to standardize all washroom signage while ensuring that it is compliant with the Agency's standards.

For passengers with mobility difficulties or who may have difficulty walking long distances, wheelchairs are available throughout the airport and designated seating is available along pathways and in areas where there can be long waiting periods. Furthermore, electric carts can be found in the international and transborder concourses and pick-ups are made at regular intervals to transport passengers with disabilities or others needing assistance. Designated pick-up areas are clearly identified and located throughout these sections of the terminal

Once a year, the Montréal Airport organizes a familiarization day for children with autism spectrum disorders. The main goal of this program is to give children an opportunity to become acquainted with airport procedures and processes in advance of travel. In addition, this program allows the airport an additional opportunity to ensure that its facilities are accessible to persons with intellectual disabilities.

While the Montréal Airport has designated personnel to deal with accessibility concerns or complaints, it does not have a formal means to broadly consult with representatives from the community of persons with disabilities on the accessibility of its facilities.

The latest periodic facility inspection done by Agency staff concluded that the Montréal Airport complies with the applicable provisions of the PTR. The airport has an up-to-date training plan to ensure that employees and contractors who interact with the public or make decisions about the carriage of persons with disabilities are trained to an appropriate level for the requirements of their jobs.

Conclusion

The Montréal Airport demonstrated a commitment to meeting the accessibility standards in the Terminal Code, the Communication Code, and the PTR and to improving the accessibility of both its services and facilities. To that end, the Montréal Airport is encouraged to implement a means of consultation with representatives of the community of persons with disabilities.

Future action

The Agency will continue to monitor the accessibility of the federal transportation network to ensure that passengers with disabilities can travel without encountering undue obstacles to their mobility.