Take Charge of Your Travel: A Guide for Travellers with Disabilities

Take charge through your plan

From the information you have gathered, it’s time to build your travel plan and book it, either through your travel agent or directly with the carrier, either by phone or online.

When you make your reservation directly with the carrier, mention your disability and explain your accessibility needs. Ask your carrier about the services and equipment they provide that will meet your needs. You can also check their website for information.

If your reservation is made through a travel agent or other third party, such as an online company that allows you to research and book travel, it is always a good idea to contact your carrier directly to confirm that your accessibility needs have been correctly communicated and that the carrier is aware of the services you require to meet your needs.

Advance notice and information and documents to support a service request

If you need any accessibility services from your carrier, it is recommended that you give them as much notice as possible. While in some cases, no advance notice is required, carriers are required to arrange most services for you when you give them at least 48 hours’ notice. With less than 48 hours’ notice, they must make every reasonable effort to do so. If a carrier requires you to provide information or documents (for example, a medical certificate) to assess your service requests, up to 96 hours advance notice may be required.

Usually you do not have to provide information or documentation to support your service request. However, in some cases, such as when a traveller uses a mobility aid or an assistive device (for example, a portable oxygen concentrator), carriers may require information (for example, the weight and dimensions of the mobility aid) or documents (for example, a medical certificate regarding the need for medical oxygen during travel). Carriers may also want a traveller's health professional to talk to its medical staff to clarify the traveller's service needs and ensure they are in a position to meet them. Be clear on exactly what your service needs are and ask about the services you can get.

For more information on advance notice and supporting information and documentation, see the CTA's Advance Notice/Supporting Documentation Requesting Services for Persons with Disabilities: A Guide.

Making arrangements to receive help

You can arrange to receive help throughout your journey, including:

• moving to/from a pick-up/drop-off area (curbside zone) of a terminal located in Canada;
• checking in;
• moving through the terminal, including through the security screening checkpoint;
• boarding, connecting, and disembarking;
• storing and retrieving baggage;
• moving to/from an on-board washroom;
• moving through the terminal's border clearance area; and
• obtaining accessible ground transportation from your destination terminal in Canada.

You should note that carriers are not required to provide assistance — or are only required to provide limited assistance — with:

• eating, taking medication, using the washroom;
• transferring to/from a passenger seat after departure and before arrival;
• orientation or communication; or
• physical assistance in the event of an emergency, including in the case of an evacuation or decompression.

If you need this help, ask your carrier about travelling with a support person. The assistance provided by a support person is in addition to the assistance that the carrier is already required to provide to passengers with disabilities, which includes, for example, assisting the passenger with meals served by the carrier by opening packages, identifying food items and their location and cutting large food portions; assistance with boarding/disembarking, storing and retrieving carry-on baggage, and describing the layout of an aircraft, train, ferry or bus and the location of onboard amenities; or transferring the passenger between a mobility aid and their passenger seat before departure and after arrival.

A Canadian carrier must provide the adjacent seating for a necessary support person without charging you an additional fare or any other charges if you are travelling within Canada, except if that travel is part of an itinerary which includes travel outside Canada (for example, domestic legs of international flights).

You will also have to plan how you will get from home to the terminal and from the terminal to your final destination. In larger communities, there is a variety of accessible transportation available, from taxis and buses to rental cars. Smaller communities may have fewer choices. You may need to reserve ahead of time to make sure your ride is available to get you from point A to point B. Canadian terminal operators that have arrangements with ground transportation companies, must ensure that transportation from their terminals is accessible (see On arrival below).

Seats and cabins

Let your carrier know what your needs are for your seat or cabin. Based on the class of service that you have requested, your carrier must let you know what seats or cabins are available and have the equipment and facilities that would best meet your accessibility needs. Provide feedback to your carrier as it must consider your opinion before assigning you a seat or cabin.

Carriers cannot charge seat selection fees for accessible seating.

A Canadian carrier must provide that additional seating at no additional charge for travel between points in Canada if you require additional adjacent seating to accommodate your disability, for example:

• for a support person to provide you with assistance during travel that your carrier does not provide;
• for your service dog because the floor space at your seat is insufficient; or
• if the nature of your disability is such that the limitation to a single seat would be a barrier to travel; for example, if you have a fused leg or a leg brace, or you are functionally disabled by obesity.

For international travel — including any portion of the itinerary that is for travel between points in Canada — carriers are required to provide additional adjacent seating but are permitted to charge the fare.

You should be aware that your carrier may ask you to provide information or documents, including a medical certificate, to support your request for additional seating. Some carriers have a policy on who can be a support person so it's a good idea to ask about this ahead of time (for example, is there a minimum age or does the support person need to be physically capable of lifting the traveller with a disability or helping them to evacuate). If your support person does not meet the carrier's age requirement, but you believe that they are physically and otherwise capable of fulfilling all of the duties, you may wish to ask the carrier to make an individual assessment of your intended support person's capacity and capabilities.

Allergy buffer zones

If you have a severe allergy, let your carrier know well in advance of your travel but, at a minimum, 48 hours before your departure.

You can ask your carrier to establish a buffer zone around your seat. This means that:

• you will be seated in a bank of seats where the allergen is not located and that does not face a bank of seats where the allergen is located; and
• other passengers sitting in your bank of seats will be notified that there is a passenger with a severe allergy (without identifying you). They will also be told what you are allergic to so that they don't consume or use products that could trigger your allergy.

You can also ask to pre-board and clean your seat to remove potential allergens. You should be aware that:

• there may be restrictions imposed by the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority on the types of cleaning supplies that can be brought onboard in carry-on baggage; or
• your carrier may have a policy of providing the cleaning supplies themselves.

It is important that you bring any allergy medications that you might use, such as epinephrine auto-injectors and other prescription and non-prescription medications, in your carry-on luggage and make sure that you can quickly access them.

You may also want to bring your own food onboard if you have a food allergy.

For more information on travelling with a severe allergy, see the CTA's Severe Allergies: A Guide.

Mobility aids and assistive devices

Your carrier is required to transport your mobility aid except in the following circumstances:

• if the weight of your mobility aid exceeds the capacity of the device used for boarding mobility aids. This could also happen if you need to remain in your mobility aid during boarding, for example when boarding a train or bus.
• if your mobility aid does not fit on the transportation equipment (for example, in the baggage compartment). If that happens, the carrier must tell you about alternative trips to your destination which can accommodate your mobility aid and offer to book this at the lesser of the fare for your original trip and the fare for the alternative trip. You can find information on the maximum weight and dimensions of mobility aids that a carrier can transport on its website.
• if you are travelling by air and transporting your mobility aid would jeopardize the safe operation of the airplane.

You should be aware that your carrier may ask you to provide written instructions for the disassembly/reassembly of your mobility aid if this is needed in order to store your aid during travel.

When you plan your trip, ask the following questions:

• Do I have to store my mobility aid during travel and, if so, when do I have to transfer out of my aid (at check-in or at the boarding gate/platform)?
• Can mobility aids be stored on board, or must they be carried in cargo/baggage compartments? Be prepared to provide the weight and measurements of your mobility aid.
• Is there an on-board wheelchair?
• Can the on-board wheelchair get in and out of the washroom?
• Which seats will be the most accessible for me (for example: seats with moveable armrests that facilitate transferring to/from an on-board wheelchair)?

Common assistive devices include a cane, crutches, a communication device (for example, a speech-generating device which translates typed messages into digitized speech), an orthotic positioning device (used to support and position a person who has postural problems), and a portable oxygen concentrator. If you need to use an assistive device while on board, your carrier is required to allow you to do this provided it is safe to do so. You should provide your reservation agent with information about your device, including whether it uses batteries or needs an onboard power supply. You may be asked to provide information or documents, including a medical certificate, regarding your use of the assistive device.

For more information on travelling with a mobility aid or assistive device, see the CTA's Travelling with mobility aids and other assistive devices: A Guide.

Arranging ground transportation

If you need ground transportation to/from the terminal, you might want to arrange this in advance. See the section on ground transportation in On arrival below.

Service dogs

Your carrier will usually require confirmation that your service dog has been trained for its role. It may do this when you make your reservation by asking you to provide a declaration attesting that your dog has been individually trained by an organization or person specializing in service dog training to perform a task to assist you with a need related to your disability. Your carrier may also require you to provide, before departure, an identification card or other document that is issued by such an organization or person and that identifies you and provides this same attestation.

Your carrier must ensure that there is enough floor space for your service dog to remain at your feet in a manner that ensures the well-being and safety of both you and your dog. You should provide your carrier with relevant information on your physical characteristics — such as long legs or the inability to bend a knee — and the size and other characteristics of your dog – such as its ability to maintain a curled position. In some cases, obstructions in the floor space will necessitate the use of floor space at an adjacent seat to ensure that you and your service dog can share the space safely and in reasonable comfort. If this is not possible because your dog is too large, your carrier must provide adjacent seating to provide sufficient floor space. The only exception is if you are travelling on a ferry that does not offer assigned seating.

A Canadian carrier must provide the adjacent seating without charging you an additional fare or any other charges if you are travelling within Canada.

For more information on travelling with a service dog, see the CTA's Service Dogs: A Guide and Space for Service Dogs onboard transportation equipment: A Guide.

The terminal

It's time to go! It is essential for you to be aware of your carrier's check-in time to give yourself enough time to both get to the terminal and receive assistance to check in, drop any baggage and get through the terminal to the gate, including transferring to a boarding chair if you are travelling with your own mobility aid. Also, you should be aware that the carrier may require you to arrive at the terminal earlier than the regular check-in time to receive certain types of assistance. The carrier may also provide check-in and boarding gate cut off times that must be respected regardless of lineups at check-in and security.

Getting information about the terminal

Many terminals publish maps of their interiors on their websites so you can chart your own course ahead of time. Canadian terminals are also required to publish on their websites information on the following:

• where the drop-off/pick-up area (curbside zone) is located and how to request assistance to/from it;
• accessible ground transportation from the terminal;
• the location of service dog relief areas;
• accessible transportation between terminal buildings; and
• wheelchair and electric cart services.

Inside larger terminals, you will probably find a help desk near the entrance where you can get information and help. Some terminals have automated information kiosks, which must be accessible to persons with disabilities in Canada.

Curbside assistance when you arrive at the terminal

In Canada, terminal operators are required to provide you with curbside assistance. This will help you proceed from the curbside zone to the check-in area or, if there is no check-in area, to a representative of the carrier. Terminal operators are also required to provide you with assistance with your baggage, provide a wheelchair if you need one or help you with your own wheelchair, or provide you with guiding assistance if, for example, you are blind.

There are different ways to obtain curbside assistance (for example, using a telephone or buzzer system located outside the terminal) and you may have to arrive at the terminal at a particular time in advance to receive the service. You should find out:

• how to request curbside assistance at the terminal;
• how early to arrive at the terminal to receive the assistance; and
• where the terminal's drop-off and pick-up points for curbside assistance are.

It is important for you to tell the terminal operator what kind of curbside assistance you need so you get the right kind of help and avoid, for example, getting a wheelchair when what you really need is guiding assistance.

For more information, see the CTA's Curbside Assistance: A Guide.

Moving through the terminal

Getting from the carrier's check-in counter to the boarding area can be a voyage in itself. Boarding areas may be far away. Many terminals publish maps of their interiors on their websites so you can chart your own course ahead of time.

Checking in

When you check in, reconfirm that you will receive the services you requested when you made your reservation and received written confirmation (this is usually in your itinerary).

Your carrier is required, upon request, to help you through the terminal to the boarding gate/platform and all the way to your seat on board if needed. If you have a service dog, you may want to ask for directions to the relief area. Terminal operators must provide designated relief areas outside the terminal and on the secure side, which can be reached without having to leave the secure area and re-enter it.

Mobility aids at the terminal

If you use a power wheelchair or other large mobility aid, your carrier will usually need time to prepare it for the trip. This means that somewhere between check-in and boarding, you may need to transfer to a boarding wheelchair. However, your carrier is required to allow you to keep your mobility aid until it becomes necessary to store it and if you use a manual, folding wheelchair, your carrier will generally allow you to remain in it until boarding. Your carrier may have asked you to provide written instructions for the disassembly and reassembly of your mobility aid, but you may want to ask how your mobility aid will be secured and stored.

Security screening

If you are required to go through a security screening process, screening officers will want to see your boarding pass, and they may ask to see prescriptions if you bring your medications on board. Keep your passport, boarding pass, prescriptions and any other important travel documents close at hand.

In Canadian airports, it is the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) officers who screen passengers entering the secure zones and boarding areas. If you ask, CATSA will:

• expedite the screening process by directing you — and your support person if you are travelling with one — to the front of the line or to a different line designated for expediting the screening process;
• permit a representative of an airline, or an individual with a security pass issued by an airline or the airport, to accompany you through the security screening checkpoint;
• assist you with proceeding through the steps of the security screening process, including by providing verbal or visual cues or additional instructions;
• make a private room available on request when a physical search is required; and
• assist you with the placement of your carry-on baggage and personal items on a screening belt and with their retrieval.

If you are travelling with an assistive device, support person or service dog, CATSA must make every reasonable effort to carry out the screening simultaneously with the screening of the assistive device, support person, or service dog. Also, if CATSA removes your assistive device for separate screening, it must immediately return it to you after it has been screened. If your mobility aid is removed for separate screening, CATSA must offer you a chair while your aid is being screened.

For more information, see the CTA's Requirements applicable to the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority and the Canada Border Services Agency: A Guide.

Boarding

Your carrier can provide you with assistance with boarding and, if you are travelling on a ferry, help you in moving from a vehicle deck to a passenger deck.

Your carrier is required to allow you to board in advance of other passengers if:

• you have asked for help with boarding, locating your seat or cabin, transferring between a mobility aid and your seat, or storing carry-on luggage;
• you are blind or have any other visual impairment and you have asked for a description of the layout of the airplane, train, ferry or bus, or of the location and operation of operating controls at your seat; or
• you are disabled due to a severe allergy and have asked to clean your seat to remove any potential allergens.

Seating and layout

Once onboard, if you are blind or have any other visual impairment, your carrier is required — upon your request — to describe the layout of the transportation equipment, including the location of washrooms and exits, and the location and operation of any operating controls at your seat. You can also ask for help to find and transfer into your seat and to put away and retrieve your carry-on luggage.

Announcements

Once you've settled into your seat, take a moment to find the briefing card with safety information. Most carriers will provide a general safety demonstration before departure but are required to provide an individualized briefing and demonstration if you request one. Carriers are also required to make announcements (for example, regarding weather, delays, baggage retrieval, and connections) in an audio or a visual format upon request by a traveller.

Meals or snacks

The on-board crew are required to offer limited help with meals or snacks — opening packages, identifying food items and their location and cutting large food portions — but are not required to assist a passenger with feeding. If you are blind or have any other visual impairment, you can ask them to describe all the food and beverages that are offered or to provide you with a menu in large print or Braille. And, if you are travelling by train and you are unable to access the food-service car, you (and your support person, if you are travelling with one) can order a meal and have it served at your seat or in your cabin.

On-board wheelchairs and access to washrooms

On-board crew on trains and ferries, and on airplanes which have sufficiently wide aisles, can assist you to go between your seat and the washroom using an on-board wheelchair, including by assisting in your transfer between your seat and the on-board wheelchair. On an airplane, you can use the washroom that has the most space, regardless of where it is located, if you need an on-board wheelchair or the help of a support person or service dog to use the washroom. On-board crew are not required to assist a passenger inside a washroom.

Onboard entertainment

If there is on-board entertainment available, your carrier must assist you in using it, upon your request. If you have provided advance notice to your carrier that you would like a personal electronic device (for example, a tablet), your carrier must provide you with one and help you use it if you request assistance.

A carrier cannot charge you for a personal electronic device. However, if it charges passengers for accessing on-board entertainment, it can charge you for using the personal electronic device that it provides to you on the same basis that it charges other passengers who access on-board entertainment content and who are travelling in the same class of service as you.

For more information, see the CTA's On-board entertainment: A Guide.

Arrival

You've arrived at your destination! It's time to gather your baggage and head towards the exit of the terminal building or, if you are making a connection, to continue your journey.

Disembarking

If your journey has ended, upon your request, your carrier is required to help you disembark from the aircraft, train, bus or ferry, retrieve your checked baggage, proceed to the general public area, and proceed to a location where you can receive assistance to get to the curbside zone. If you are continuing your journey, upon your request, your carrier is required to assist you in getting to a location where you can receive help from your connecting carrier.

Retrieving your mobility aids

Your mobility aid should be returned to you at your destination in the same condition as when you checked it in, however, damage can occur. If this is the case, having photos of your mobility aid can help establish that the damage happened while your aid was in the carrier’s possession. It is recommended that you take two sets of photos: the first, just before giving your mobility aid to your carrier for transportation; and the second, of the damage to your mobility aid. The two sets of photos can then be compared, which can show the nature and location of the damage. Before leaving the terminal, be sure to complete a damage claim and provide it to your carrier.

If your mobility aid is damaged, destroyed, lost or not returned to you within the usual time frame after you reach your destination, depending on the circumstances, your carrier must:

• provide you with a temporary replacement aid that meets your needs;
• reimburse you for expenses you incurred as a result;
• arrange for the repair of your mobility or, if this is not possible, provide a suitable replacement or reimburse you for the full replacement cost; or
• if your mobility aid has been destroyed or lost, provide a suitable replacement or reimburse you for the full replacement cost.

A special declaration of interest is important because, without it, carriers' limits of liability for mobility aids carried on international flights are capped at a level far less than the value of most aids. This means that, if a mobility aid is lost, damaged or destroyed and the traveller has not completed a special declaration of interest, they may only be entitled to reimbursement for a portion of the value of the mobility aid.

Airlines that operate international flights are required to publish a notice on their websites about the option of completing a special declaration of interest.

Border clearance

If you are returning to Canada from another country, you must go through the border clearance process.

If you ask, CBSA will:

• expedite the border clearance process by directing you – and your support person if you are travelling with one — to the front of the line or to a different line designated for expediting the border clearance process;
• assist you with proceeding through the steps of the border clearance process, including by providing verbal or visual cues or additional instructions;
• assist you with completing a declaration card or by collecting a verbal declaration; and
• assist you with the placement of your personal items on a counter for inspection and with their retrieval, if you must undergo more extensive clearance.

Curbside assistance when you are leaving the terminal

When you are ready to leave the terminal, your carrier can help you reach the general public area and, if you want curbside assistance, to a specific place in the general public area where terminal staff can help you to get to the curbside zone. The particular place will depend on the terminal. It could be a service desk, or a place where there is an accessible telephone or buzzer system that you can use to request curbside assistance from the terminal operator.

Ground transportation to your destination

You will also have to plan on how you will get from the terminal to your final destination.

Terminal operators that have an arrangement with a company for ground transportation from the terminal — including by taxi, limousine, bus or rental vehicle — must ensure that vehicles can carry mobility aids (or any other assistive devices). The terminal operator must also ensure that there are rental vehicles that are equipped with hand-control systems.

Resolving problems

Sometimes things can go wrong with even the best-planned trip. If a problem arises or you have a concern related to your trip, let the transportation service provider know. Often, a discussion is all that's required to fix the problem or address the concern.

Keep your receipts and documents, and a record of who you talked with and when. It's a good idea to write a description of what happened as soon as you can, while the details are still fresh in your mind.

If you have tried to discuss your concern with the transportation service provider and aren't satisfied with the result, you can contact the CTA. You can also contact us as a first step to resolving your concern if that is your preference. Our staff can facilitate a conversation with the transportation service provider, which can lead to addressing the concern.

If these processes don't work, then you can ask the CTA to formally investigate your complaint. To start the process, you will need to file a statement and, if available, supporting evidence. The transportation service provider will also be given an opportunity to file a statement and evidence. You will then be given a final opportunity to reply to the transportation service provider's statement and evidence. The CTA will make a binding decision. It can include corrective measures, a refund of the expenses that you incurred because of the problem, or compensation for pain, suffering, or willful or reckless practice.

For more information on how the CTA resolves accessible transportation complaints, see the CTA's Accessible Transportation Complaints: A Guide.

We’re here to help

For more information and guidance about accessible travel and the CTA's dispute resolution services, please contact us at info@otc-cta.gc.ca.