Many separate accessibility standards development processes exist in Canada. For example, Ontario, Manitoba, and Nova Scotia all have laws that mandate creation of provincial accessibility standards. In addition, the Accessible Canada Act mandates accessibility standards that apply to organizations under federal jurisdiction. However, the government of Canada intends to coordinate federal and provincial accessibility laws. Moreover, the third review of the AODA recommends that the Ontario government should support this aim by aligning its accessibility law, the AODA, with the laws of other provinces and the country. If the governments work together to make these laws more similar, the AODA standards development process may change to align with laws in other places across the country. In this article, we will explore accessible transportation standards in Ontario and Manitoba.
Accessible Transportation Standards in Ontario and Manitoba
The Transportation Standards under the AODA and the accessible Transportation Standard under the Accessibility for Manitobans Act both require organizations to make transportation accessible to citizens with disabilities. Moreover, both standards require many of the same processes and practices to ensure accessibility. For instance, both standards require organizations that provide transportation to establish and implement:
- Accessibility training for all transportation workers
- Accessibility plans for conventional and specialized providers
- Accessible features on vehicles
- Systems in place for passengers who travel with support persons
- Audio and visual announcements
- Courtesy seating
- Fare parity between conventional and specialized transit
- Individualized transportation plans for students with disabilities
- Policies for accessible taxicabs
Differences Between Standards
However, there are many important differences between the standards for accessible transportation in Ontario and Manitoba. Moreover, both of these standards may change over time to improve accessibility or to better align with:
- Each other
- Accessibility standards in other provinces
- The Accessible Canada Act
Therefore, our next series of articles will explore differences between Ontario’s and Manitoba’s mandates for accessible transportation.