OTTAWA,
ON, May 9, 2024 /CNW/ - The Government of
Canada is committed to ensuring
that Canada is barrier-free. This
includes a fully accessible transportation system. This is vital to
ensure that all Canadians, including those with disabilities, have
equal opportunities to contribute and participate fully in
society.
Canadians with disabilities still face many barriers while
travelling. Today, the Minister of Transport, Pablo Rodriguez, and Minister of Diversity,
Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities, Kamal Khera hosted a National Air Accessibility
Summit. They brought together members from the disability
community, the aviation industry, all orders of government, and
international partners.
The Summit allowed for productive discussions about:
- removing barriers faced by persons with disabilities when
travelling by air;
- identifying solutions to help ensure a more consistent travel
experience for all; and
- reporting on progress since the coming into force of the
Accessible Canada Act and the Accessible Transportation
for Persons with Disabilities Regulations.
These discussions resulted in the following commitments:
- All partners agreed to seek out ways to ensure seamless travel
for persons with disabilities, to make air travel more inclusive
and enjoyable for all;
- Industry will work together to streamline processes and adopt a
common medical form for passengers with disabilities to simplify
their travel preparation and as well as explore ways to collect and
share data with Government representatives; and
- The Government of Canada will
take a leadership role with international partners to promote
better passenger experiences for persons with disabilities.
The Government of Canada will
work to further enhance accessible travel for everyone.
Quotes
"Our Government is committed to removing barriers to air travel.
This Summit served as an opportunity to bring parties to the table
to work together. Because it's only by working together that we can
ensure that air travel is accessible to all passengers, for all
Canadians."
The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez
Minister of Transport
"Canada's first ever National
Air Accessibility Summit convened actors from across the air
transportation sector so that together we can take a coordinated
and deliberate approach to making air travel barrier-free for
Canadians with disabilities. As a result of the Summit, we were
able to agree on short-term solutions to improve accessibility in
addition to having ongoing conversations as to how we can continue
to break down barriers to accessibility in the long-term."
The Honourable Kamal Khera
Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities
Quick facts
- On June 21, 2019, the
Accessible Canada Act, which commits to achieve a
barrier-free Canada by 2040,
received Royal Assent.
- Through a proactive and systemic approach, the Accessible
Canada Act aims to identify, remove, and prevent accessibility
barriers in seven priority areas within the federal jurisdiction,
including transportation (airlines, as well as rail, road and
marine transportation providers that cross provincial or
international borders).
- The Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities
Regulations (June 2019) were
developed to protect the human rights of persons with disabilities
to an accessible transportation network. They provide mandatory
requirements across different modes of transportation: air,
passenger rail, marine, and bus, as well as security and border
screening.
- The Accessible Transportation Planning and Reporting
Regulations (December 2021) were
developed to proactively identify and remove barriers for persons
with disabilities who use services offered by federally regulated
transportation service providers, as well as prevent new barriers
from emerging.
- The diverse perspectives and experiences were acknowledged and
respected. Participants included representatives from diverse
organizations of persons with disabilities, as well as
representatives from the Indigenous communities. Industry
representatives included airlines, airports, aircraft
manufacturers, and unions. Along with Transport Canada and
Employment and Social Development Canada, Government
representatives included Accessibility Standards Canada, the
Canadian Air Transport Security Authority, the Canada Border
Services Agency, and the Canadian Transportation Agency.
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SOURCE Transport Canada - Ottawa