The Transportation Standards under the AODA and the Transportation Standard under the Accessibility for Manitobans Act (AMA) both require organizations to make transportation accessible to passengers with disabilities. Moreover, both standards require many of the same processes and practices to ensure accessibility. However, there are many important differences between the standards. The third review of the AODA recommends that the Ontario government should coordinate with other provinces and the federal government to ensure that accessibility laws are consistent across Canada. Therefore, requirements in the AODA may one day change to align with mandates under the Accessibility for Manitobans Act. In this article, we will explore requirements for travelling with assistive devices in Ontario and Manitoba.
Travelling with Assistive Devices in Ontario and Manitoba
The Transportation Standards of the AODA and the Accessible Transportation Standard of the Accessibility for Manitobans Act (AMA) both allow passengers to travel on conventional transit with assistive devices. Moreover, these devices include medical aids, such as:
- Respirators
- Oxygen supplies
Each vehicle should have two (2) or more spaces where a passenger can secure and ride in their wheelchair or scooter. Alternatively, passengers can use conventional transit seating and store their assistive devices, with assistance from the driver if needed. Drivers should store assistive devices in passenger compartments where owners can reach them, whenever possible. Otherwise, drivers must place devices in storage compartments and return them to their owners after their trips. Companies cannot charge for storing assistive devices.
Differences
Manitoba’s Transportation Standard also requires specialized transit companies to:
- Allow passengers to travel with assistive devices
- Store assistive devices:
- Near their owners, if possible
- In storage compartments, if storage in passenger compartments is not possible
- Charge no extra fees for storage of assistive devices
In other words, all rules that apply only to conventional transit in Ontario apply to all transit in Manitoba.
Moreover, spaces for passengers’ assistive devices in Manitoba should be as close to the vehicle door as possible. In Ontario, if a passenger is not using a space for assistive devices, passengers without assistive devices can use these spaces.
Finally, Manitoba’s mandate states that companies cannot charge a higher fee to a passenger travelling with an assistive device than they would charge a passenger without an assistive device.