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 service animals in Ontario and Manitoba.
Travelling with Service Animals in Ontario and Manitoba
Under the Accessible Transportation Standard of the Accessibility for Manitobans Act (AMA), conventional and specialized transit companies must allow passengers to board vehicles with service animals. Moreover, conventional transit companies cannot charge a passenger boarding with a service animal a higher fare than they would charge a passenger boarding without a service animal.
In contrast, the AODA’s Transportation Standards do not include requirements related to service animals travelling on conventional transit or specialized transit. However, under the customer service standards, service animals are allowed in all places open to the public. For example, places open to the public include transit vehicles, such as:
- Busses
- Motor coaches
- Streetcars
- Subways
- Light rail
- Commuter rail
- Inter-city rail
- Ferries
While there are exceptions in the law, they concern food preparation, not transit. Nonetheless, the transportation standards do not directly state that service animals are permitted on conventional or specialized transit. This type of direct requirement could clearly inform drivers and other transit workers that they must welcome service animals and their handlers on vehicles. Moreover, a direct requirement could prevent workers from charging these passengers higher fares than passengers without service animals.