Canada's transportation terminals making travel information more accessible
to persons with disabilities

OTTAWA, Oct. 21 /CNW/ - The Canadian Transportation Agency today released a report finding that Canada's transportation terminals are becoming more accessible to persons with disabilities.

In its Terminal Code Compliance Report 2010 the Agency found that the majority of federally regulated transportation terminals are now compliant with provisions of the Code of Practice: Passenger Terminal Accessibility. The Code, released by the Agency in 2007, outlines requirements for the accessibility of transportation terminals for persons with disabilities.

The Compliance Report measured progress through three assessments of federally regulated transportation terminals: first in May 2009, a month before the Code went into effect, then in December 2009, and ultimately in the weeks before the issuance of the Report. As of this final assessment in July 2010, full compliance had been achieved.

"This report shows the commitment of owners and operators to making their passenger terminals more accessible to persons with disabilities. It also demonstrates that voluntary codes of practice are working," said Geoff Hare, Chair and CEO of the Canadian Transportation Agency. "The Agency looks forward to continued dialogue with all stakeholders on actions they can take to ensure that our national transportation system is truly accessible to all Canadians."

As part of the Agency's evaluation, the Web sites of transportation terminal operators were examined to identify whether they provide sufficient information regarding different types of services for persons with disabilities. In cases where the required information was not available on the terminal operator's Web site, Agency staff verified whether an equivalent level of information was available via alternatives such as telephone or teletypewriter (TTY).

As indicated in the Report, all applicable terminals were found to be compliant, with some terminals even going beyond the minimum requirements. Examples include:

• links to Web sites that deal with accessible transportation issues;
• links to printable brochures which feature comprehensive information on accessibility features of a specific terminal; and
• an airport customer assistance program where travellers can pre-arrange assistance by calling a toll-free number or by completing an online form.

The Agency will continue to work with stakeholders to further enhance the accessibility of Canadian transportation terminals, and to ensure that undue obstacles to the mobility of persons with disabilities are removed from the federally regulated transportation system.

For more information, please see the Agency's Backgrounder: Compliance Report on Passenger Terminal Accessibility.

About the Canadian Transportation Agency

The Canadian Transportation Agency is an independent administrative body of the Government of Canada. It performs two key functions within the federal transportation system:

• As a quasi-judicial tribunal, the Agency, informally and through formal adjudication, resolves a range of commercial and consumer transportation-related disputes, including accessibility issues for persons with disabilities. It operates like a court when adjudicating disputes.
• As an economic regulator, the Agency makes determinations and issues authorities, licences and permits to transportation carriers under federal jurisdiction.

Compliance reports are available online at the Canadian Transportation Agency Web site at www.cta.gc.ca, and in multiple formats by calling 1-888-222-2592.

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For further information:

Media Relations
Canadian Transportation Agency
819-934-3448
[email protected]