Accessible transportation consultation

This consultation is part of the Agency's Regulatory Modernization Initiative.

The Agency is consulting with its Accessibility Advisory Committee and Canadians on how regulatory measures can help make the federal transportation network accessible for persons with disabilities.

Could we achieve a more accessible transportation network by converting existing voluntary codes of practice into regulations?

Should accessibility-related standards – such as the one-person-one-fare rule and requirements to accommodate persons with severe allergies etc. ‒ already established for some transportation service providers through Agency decisions, be applied more widely to create a level playing field and to ensure that persons with disabilities have a consistent level of accessibility throughout the network?

These are some examples of the essential matters raised in our Accessible transportation discussion paper. We would like to hear your ideas and suggestions on how to address them.

How do I participate?

Get engaged today by submitting your feedback at consultations@otc-cta.gc.ca. Sign language video submissions can also be uploaded. All submissions will be considered public documents and will be posted on the Agency's website.

The Agency plans to complete consultations on all elements of this initiative by summer 2017. It will review comments, release a summary document and draft updated regulations by the end of 2017. The regulations should be implemented in 2018.

Reference materials

• Accessible Transportation Discussion Paper
• News Release
• A What We Heard Summary Report on Accessible Transportation

Background

The Agency currently administers two sets of regulations on accessibility.

Part VII of the Air Transportation Regulations sets out the terms and conditions of carriage of persons with disabilities on domestic flights using aircraft with 30 and more passenger seats.  The regulations prescribe the disability-related services that carriers are required to provide to ensure that persons with disabilities have equal access to air travel.

Personnel Training for the Assistance of Persons with Disabilities Regulations require air and federal rail and ferry carriers and terminal operators to ensure that their employees and contractors are trained to provide transportation services to persons with disabilities.

The Agency also sets out expectations for the accessibility of the federal transportation network through accessibility standards.