June, 2007 - Guide Dog Users of Canada, in conjunction with other national consumer organizations, has signed and endorsed the recommendations outlined below regarding the accessibility of transportation systems in Canada, as drafted by the Council of Canadians with Disabilities.
Note: Accessibility as referred to in this document is not simply access related to mobility impairment but rather related to the access needs of all persons with disabilities and grounded in the principles of Universal Design. We are seeking a cross disability framework in the development of an accessible federally regulated transportation system.
- The Minister of Transport must immediately develop accessibility regulations similar to the United States regulatory model for all federally regulated modes of transportation and federally regulated transportation service systems (airports, stations, station based ground transport, information systems etc.).
- The Minister of Transport must immediately develop a Disability Organizations Advisory Committee on Accessible Transportation that is resourced to undertake research and provide advice to the Minister of Transport for advancing access and inclusion of persons with disabilities.
- The Minister of Transport must take immediate action to rebuild the capacity of the Accessibility Unit within Transport Canada to develop a national action plan which includes a research capacity to look at best practices in other jurisdictions, reports annually on goals and achieved outcomes, monitors type and focus of complaints made to CTA and ensures appropriate consultation with the disability community in the development of a national action plan.
- The Minister must ensure that the Transport Development Centre has the capacity and direction to engage in research related to identifying new means of advancing accessibility and universal design in all federally regulated modes of transportation and service delivery.
- The Government of Canada must attach a strong access standard/universal design principle to all infrastructure initiatives.
- Enforcement of accessibility must be strengthened by providing CTA with the powers to grant interim injunctions related to purchase of any new equipment that would create new barriers, ensuring that CTA can make interim awarding of cost and award human rights remedies.
- Legislative reforms must be enacted to ensure that accessibility remains one of the principle objectives of the National Transportation Act.
Other signatories included:
- Adaptech Research Network
- Alliance For Equality of Blind Canadians
- ARCH Disability Law Centre
- B.C. Coalition of People with Disabilities
- B.C. Paraplegic Association
- Canadian Association for Community Living
- Canadian Association of Independent Living Centres
- Canadian Association of the Deaf
- Canadian Cerebral Palsy Sports Association
- Canadian Hard of Hearing Association
- Canadian Hemophilia Association
- Canadian National Institute for the Blind
- Canadian Paraplegic Association
- Canadian Paraplegic Association Manitoba
- Canadian Paraplegic Association Ontario
- Canadian Working Group on HIV and Rehabilitation
- Centre for Independent Living Toronto
- Cerebral Palsy Association of Manitoba
- Community Involvement of the Disabled Sydney N.S.
- Disabilities and Information Technology Research Alliance
- DisAbled Women’s Network Canada
- DisAbled Women’s Network Manitoba
- DisAbled Women’s Network Ontario
- Easter Seals Canada
- IDEA Regina
- Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities
- Miramichi Physically Disabled and Handicapped Association
- National Educational Association of Disabled Students
- Neil Squire Society
- Nova Scotia League for Equal Opportunity
- People First of Canada
- Persons United for Self-Help in Northwestern Ontario
- Saskatchewan Brain Injury Association
- Saskatchewan Voice of People with Disabilities
- Thalidomide Victims of Canada
- Transportation Action Now
- Confédération des organismes de personnes handicapées du Québec (COPHAN)
- Le Regroupement des aveugles et amblyopes du Québec - (RAAQ)
- L’Association des paraplégiques du Québec
- Comité provincial des adultes fibro-kystiques
- Réseau international sur le Processus de production du handicap (RIPPH)
- Coalition of Persons with Disabilities – Nfld and Labrador (COD)
- Canadian Paraplegic Association (N.B.) Inc.
- Société Logique
For more information, please see the Council of Canadians with Disabilities’ Issue Summary.