Transit

TTC Suggestions for Alternate Routes for Wheelchair Users: Does this Make Sense?

2011-10-26T00:04:00.008-04:00

In September 2011 I was in Toronto with my manual wheelchair and wanted to take the subway from Union Station to Dundas St. by the Eaton's Centre. Being from out-of-town, I had no idea the lift at Union Station was out-of-order, so I didn't think to call Wheel-Trans to book the trip by specialized transit. I had no idea this decision would mean I would be stranded and I would have to forgo shopping on that particular trip to Toronto.

What happened was I went to the lift and saw a sign that said it was out of service. It then had a sign on the wall that named 2 alternate routes that I could take. One was to go over to Brookfield Place, press the buzzer, and hope someone was free to run the lift. The other was to get back on the subway, go north 2 stops to either Osgoode or Queen St., get off and either wheel back or take the Route 6 (Bay Bus) back. I could do neither with my manual wheelchair. That was the end of one plan, at least for that trip to Toronto. So much for Toronto enjoying my tourism/visitor dollars.

When I got home to Kingston I was still trying to sort out and understand what I just read about alternative routes because it didn't make sense that a wheelchair user would have to take the subway so far away and then be expected to wheel back to Union Station. I decided I had to look the instructions up online, to make sure I was reading it right. Sure enough, I was. What I found are the instructions that are listed below in this blog.

After reading this, please ask yourself the question: If you had to push a wheelchair by hand, do you think you could wheel 1 km back to Union Station from the Osgoode or Queen St. Station? What if your battery was running low on your Electric Wheelchair - perhaps the colour showing was red and it was flashing (a clear warning to us who understand the symbols that we're running out of juice). Do you not believe you would be slightly panicked if you got to the subway station and read that the TTC was expecting you to wheel further than most people are willing to walk these days?

My hope is by writing this, that the powers that be at the TTC, will see it and perhaps think a little more carefully about what they're asking their disabled passengers to do when they're servicing (or in this case, replacing) their lift.

Why not put a sign up that directs disabled passengers to call an accessible taxi company or Wheel-Trans to get them from point A to point B instead and then pay the bill? That would be called accommodation.

The AODA (Accessibility for Ontarian's With Disabilities Act) states that people with disabilities must be accommodated. So does the Ontario Human Rights Code. What it says is that reasonable accommodations must be made. I would argue that, in this case, reasonable accommodations are NOT being made. What the TTC has suggested is, in my opinion, something that is in complete violation of our right to equal/equitable access to public transportation in Toronto.

Thank you for reading. I also ask that if you agree this doesn't make sense, that you please contact a member of the Toronto city council to complain.

Below is a copy of the directive given to wheelchair passengers to get one the subway while the lift is out for service. This information was quoted from: http://www3.ttc.ca/Subway/Stations/Union/Accessible_Alternative.jsp

Union – Alternate Route
This station is accessible

The Lift at Union Station from street to concourse has been taken out of service as part of the start of construction for the Union Station Second Platform Project.

There is a non-powered door that is regularly in the open position, allowing access from street to concourse level via a non-TTC lift located in the Brookfield Place. Call Brookfield Place at 416-777-6462 for lift status.

If this elevator is not in service, this is the accessible alternative to the Concourse (to Street)

Board a Northbound Train to Queen Station or Osgoode Station.
Use the accessible features of Queen Station or Osgoode Station to access the street.
Proceed to Union Station (approximately 1km).
The accessible, Southbound 6 Bay bus can be boarded at the Northwest corner of Queen Street and Bay Street.
Exit bus at Front Street to access the street. See map for station locations.

Important: To avoid any fare-related issues, before leaving the paid area, advise the collector you will need an emergency transfer to access Queen or Osgoode Station.

There is a non-powered door that is regularly in the open position, allowing access to street via a non-TTC lift located in the Brookfield Place.

Use the accessible features via Brookfield Place to access street, as shown.

Call Brookfield Place at 416-777-6462 for lift status.

Proceed to Queen Station or Osgoode Station (approximately 1 km).
The accessible, northbound 6 Bay bus can be boarded at the southeast corner of Front Street d Bay Street.
Exit bus at Queen Street to access Queen Station or Osgoode Station. See map for station locations.

Does this make sense to anyone - asking a person who uses a wheelchair to either take the bus or take the subway up 2 stops and then wheel back 1 km? I couldn't do it in my manual wheelchair, that's for sure.

Please read my other blogs:
Accessibility: http://www.wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Health: http://www.wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

How to Solve Barriers to Wheelchair Access on Public Transit

2011-10-21T23:08:00.002-04:00

Hey ho away we go riding on a donkey.

Hey, wait a minute. I need something more exciting; something more..... well, you know, exotic!

What can I ride?

Hmmm, I know! Why not ride an Ostrich?

Yes, I think I'm going to take up Ostrich riding. I'm serious. I've thought about this one allot.

If I am expected to drive my wheelchair over terrain with potholes, speed humps, broken sidewalks, or up steep curb cuts (that make it impossible to avoid doing a wheelie) or fly off curbs that had markings to indicate a level slope that the builder forgot to build, then I think riding an Ostrich would be a whole lot safer.

Just think of the advantages an Ostrich would bring. If you think I drive too fast now (13 kms/hr full out), you ain't seen nothing yet. An Ostrich can run 70 kms/hr. I'll be leaving you folks in the dust.

No more back pain from hitting the bumps in my wheelchair or on the bus.

With an Ostrich I won't even need the bus anymore. In fact, my transportation problems would be solved, because riding an Ostrich would be free. Instead of paying an average of $200/mth for the Access Bus, or $46.50 for a bus pass to get unlimited rides on Kingston Transit with a hitch – wheelchair users can only use part of the service because it is not fully accessible yet, then I think I would prefer to ride the environmentally friendly Ostrich for free so I can get to everywhere I need to go, very very fast.

Kingston Transit would be put to shame because, instead of it taking 45 minutes to get to a Toastmaster Meeting at Trillium Ridge from my place downtown, it would only take 10 minutes to do the trip by Ostrich. In fact, I would no longer have to worry about finding a ride home because, with the buses on this route ending their run at 7:00 pm, the Ostrich would run for free all night if I treat it right and give it food.

You think I'm kidding and dreaming the impossible don't you?

Well for those who doubt it can be done, let me educate you with some light-hearted trivia.

An Ostrich stands 6-9 feet tall
They can run at speeds of 70 kms/hr
They are capable of carrying a fully grown adult
They actually hold Ostrich races in South Africa,
A rider holds on to the wings for stability when they are riding the Ostrich.

As an aside, did you know an Ostrich egg is 6" x 5" in diameter and weighs approximately 3 pounds? It is the equivalent of 24 chicken eggs and the shell is so strong that a human can stand on it. In fact, they can jump on it and not break the egg. This is because an Ostrich weighs between 250 - 300 pounds and nature has its way of making sure the mother Ostrich won't inadvertently break the egg when she lays on it.

So what is the point of this story?

Well, the point of this story is to entertain you and to illustrate that, when life seems to throw too much at you, and it seems to make no sense at all, you can always dream up ways to make yourself laugh. If you do this, I guarantee you it will help you to kick in nature's natural anti-depressant - the endorphins. By activating your endorphins, it will make it a whole lot easier to get through those, oh so frustrating, days.

I'll therefore close with a challenge. My challenge is, the next time things seem to be too much and really overwhelming, don't hide your head in the sand. Dream of riding an Ostrich (or if necessary), dream up some other wild, crazy, and humorous story that will fit your particular situation and make yourself laugh. If you do this, I bet you will see for yourself that it is worth it to laugh because it will make it so much easier to face this world, enjoy life, and relish the pleasures that come out of each and every day.

Please Read My Other Blogs:
Accessibility: http://www.wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Health: http://www.wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

Inequitable Access to Transit: A Human Rights Violation

2011-10-03T19:09:00.004-04:00

Since the Integrated Accessibility Regulation (IAR) came out, Kingston has found ways to delay better accommodating people who use wheelchairs.

They've shelved the taxi project (to bring back accessible taxis) indefinitely, Kingston Access Bus will no longer be moving forward to align the cost of their buses with Kingston Transit, and the Municipal Transportation Subsidy to help low-income Kingstonian’s pay for the bus, will not be expanded to cover the cost of the Access Bus because the city holds no contract with the service.

Kingston Access Bus is a non-profit charitable organization so, without the city holding a contract and giving them more funds to use to buy a fare collection system similar to that used by Kingston Transit, I don’t see how they can realistically be expected to align their fare structure either. I find it shocking that, in effect, the City of Kingston does not provide any accessible public transit at all, to its citizens.

Rather than just listening to me, I’ll let you, the reader determine the truth of this for yourself. I’ll share quotes from relevant source files, along with as many links as possible.

Proof the City has no contract with the Access Bus.
This excerpt was taken from a document written in January 2011 to provide legal advice to city councillors by the City Solicitor, Hal Linscott. Note how he advises counsellors that Kingston Access Services is a non-profit charitable organization, the city holds no contract with them, and there is no obligation to give them money:

Kingston Access Services
Kingston Access Services Kingston Bus for the Handicapped, carrying on business as Kingston Access Services (“KAS”) is a charitable not for profit corporation incorporated by a number of individuals in 1967 under Letters Patent from the Province of Ontario. KAS is not a local board, agency or authority of the City. KAS by-laws provide that up to two members of City Council may sit on its Board of Directors.

The KAS mission statement is “to provide, in a safe and courteous manner, a reliable, efficient, transit service for persons having impaired mobility”. KAS oversees the operation of the Kingston Access Bus, the Kingston Area Patients Shuttle and a “dial a bus” service in rural areas of the City for Kingston Transit.

The City provides funding to assist KAS in paying for its operations, which are not fully funded from passenger revenue and other sources of revenue. Although there is no legal requirement for the City to provide funding for KAS, the City has the authority to do so should Council determine that is appropriate.

KAS by-laws provide that the Board cannot voluntarily dissolve the organization without the ratification by City Council of the Board’s motion to dissolve. Upon dissolution, any assets net of debts and liabilities are required to be distributed to charitable organizations. (Source: http://www.cityofkingston.ca/pdf/council/agenda/2011/COW_A0111-11068.pdf).

Proof the Taxi project has been put on hold until further notice:

From the Municipal Accessibility Advisory Committee Agenda about taxi’s:

MEETING Transportation Working Group 08 Jun11

2. BUSINESS OLD BUSINESS

A. Accessible On-Demand Taxi’s

Under Old Business we spoke of Accessible Taxis. In regards to Accessible-on-Demand Taxis questions arose :

(i) Where is this issue now? The next meeting of the KATC will take place following the summer, probably in September.

(ii) Could a request be put forth for an Interim Decision thru Julie prior to The next meeting?; and

(iii) Do you think the City will meet this goal?

Subsequent to the MEETING OF THE MAAC COMMITTEE 02 Jun 11, Accessible On Demand Taxis is in abeyance until further notice. No further action will be taken by the Transportation Working Group until further notice or direction has be given by the City Representative – Julie Salter-Keene to the MAAC (Source: http://www.cityofkingston.ca/pdf/cityhall/committees/accessibility/agendas/2011/MAA_0711-SchedC.pdf).

Proof of how the Municipal Transportation Subsidy only applies to Kingston Transit:

Excerpts from the Municipal Fee Assistance Program

The Affordable Transit Pass - access to a renewable reduced-cost monthly transit pass. The discount is good for a full year after approval. The 32 per cent discount makes Monthly My Cards $46.50 for Adults, $34.25 for Youth and $31.50 for Seniors. Full price Monthly My Cards are $68.25 for Adults, $50.50 for Youth, and $46.25 for Seniors. (Source: http://www.cityofkingston.ca/residents/transportation/transit/fee-assistance/index.asp)

Proof that funding to Kingston Access Bus is not considered a public transit expense:

In the 2011 Operating Budget, note how Kingston Transit expenditures are posted on page 4 & 15 and Kingston Access Bus expenditures are posted as an administrative cost on page 19. http://www.cityofkingston.ca/pdf/budget/2011_OperatingBudget.pdf.

Proof that Kingston Access Bus won’t be aligning the bus fares for now:

(This is copied from the AGM minutes for Kingston Access Services - the information is public and can be received on request by emailing kab@kingston.net)

Fare parity:
The new regulation reads:
66. (1) Where conventional transportation services and specialized transportation services are provided by separate transportation service providers in the same jurisdiction, the specialized transportation service provider shall not charge more than the highest fare charged for conventional transportation services in the same jurisdiction.
(2) Specialized transportation service providers shall meet the requirements of subsection (1) by January 1, 2017.
(3) Where a transportation service provider provides both conventional transportation services and specialized transportation services, the transportation service provider shall ensure that there is fare parity between conventional transportation services and specialized transportation services.
(4) Transportation service providers to which subsection (3) applies shall meet the requirements of that subsection by January 1, 2013.
(5) Where a transportation service provider provides both conventional transportation services and specialized transportation services, the transportation service provider shall ensure that the same fare structure is applied to conventional transportation services and specialized transportation services.
(6) Where a transportation service provider provides both conventional transportation services and specialized transportation services, the transportation service provider shall ensure that the same fare payment options are available for all transportation services, but alternative options shall be made available to persons with disabilities who cannot because of their disability use a fare payment option.
(7) Conventional transportation service providers and specialized transportation service providers shall meet the requirements of subsections (5) and (6) by January 1, 2013.
(8) In this section,
“fare structure” means the fare price determined by fare media, such as cash, tickets, passes and bulk quantity discounts and by fare category, such as adults, seniors and students, but does not include promotional fares that a transportation service provider may employ from time to time.

Summary: Despite the fact that KT and KAS receive our funding from the City of Kingston we are considered separate transportation providers, thus there is no obligation for complete fare parity. We are compliant in that our fare matches the standard Kingston Transit fare. We have started initial discussions with the City regarding fare parity for items such as monthly passes and discounted pricing and the funding that would be required in order to make this happen.

I don’t blame the Access Bus for this one because, unless they get a major financial boost in funds to buy the fare collection equipment, there is no way they can align their bus fares with that of Kingston Transit without cutting back the number of buses they give to us as passengers.

After reading this, please let the government know if you agree or disagree that Kingston is failing in its fiduciary duty to provide equitable access to public transit for all its citizens. Thank you.

Please Read My Other Blogs:
Accessibility: http://www.wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Health: http://www.wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

Intercity Buses: You Call This Customer Service?

2011-09-02T21:44:00.004-04:00

I could fill your ears (eyes) with stories that would curl your hair forever.

Here's another one from a few weeks ago. I'd pre-booked Ontario Northland to take the bus from Coldwater to Toronto and a MegaBus to take from Toronto to Kingston. Both drivers knew I was coming when I used them August 16th. However, neither of them knew I was coming on my return August 21st, and they made no bones about letting me know how inconvenient I was to them, by showing up.

The Ontario Northalnd driver said he couldn't take me because his boss hadn't warned him that he would be taking a wheelchair passenger beforehand. He was driving an accessible bus so I made a point of pointing that out. He didn't care. He wasn't warned, so he wasn't going to take me. Well, in the end, he did. I made him phone his boss. When his boss said he had to take me, he got in the bus and started throwing things out of it - in anger. Twenty-five minutes later I was on the bus.

When we got near Barrie the driver announced over the buses' loudspeaker system that Barrie was the next stop. He then said he would let people out, but he wouldn't let new people board because "there was wheelchair in the bus and she was taking up 6 seats." I laughed out loud and said, in a real loud voice, don't you love the quality of customer service for people who are NOT making his day by showing up and making work a little harder?" I have no idea what the other passengers did from Barrie, but true to his word, he left them behind. They probably had to take GO, which is cheaper anyway.

As for MegaBus, they didn't know I was coming and so the driver said he would load the bus and, if there was any space left over, he would take me. I ignored him because I've learned it doesn't help to get angry. I just sat and waited for a 1/2 hour in a prominent spot while he loaded the bus. They finally moved the seat forward so I thought, good. I'm on. Well, there were problems. After 5 employees were paraded through the bus and they all came out looking puzzled, they started up the engine. I had no idea what was going out so I called out to one of the 'consultants' (employees) who had just finished looking at whatever it was inside the bus and asked, "I said, is there a problem?"

That's when he came back and said to me, "Oh, did nobody tell you? We don't have an Allen Key to unlock the portable ramp, so we can't take you." I couldn't believe it. I gather their plan was to just drive away and leave me sitting there, but there's a chance I could be wrong.

All I know is I said, "What size do you need, and I pulled out my Allen Keys!" It was a banner moment.

His jaw dropped with surprise and he let me get onto the bus - thank God.

If they'd left me behind I would have been stuck in Toronto for 2 days because neither Via Rail or the Buses will let me get a bus in under 48 hours anymore.

I can't keep fighting these things one-by-one through human rights because no one enforces whatever decision is made anyway.

Please Read My Other Blogs:
Accessibility: http://www.wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Health: http://www.wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

Via Rail Once Again Discriminates Against People Using Wheelchairs

2011-08-10T21:17:00.008-04:00

This is an updated version of the article that hit the news yesterday about the proposed new hours for the Kingston Via Rail Station. I've combined the article into one to give you a sense of the confusion caused by 2 news publications in our local paper, the Kingston Whig Standard.

Here is the news:

On August 10, 2011, a news article appeared in the Kingston Whig Standard informing citizens that the Kingston Train station would soon be unmanned at 5:30 am. This would leave those who couldn’t print their tickets in advance, or those who needed to use the wheelchair lift, unable to board the train that early in the day. (Source: http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3251744).

I couldn’t believe the news when I read it. There used to be a restriction on wheelchair users boarding the train at 5:30 am because an employee, who had been injured and couldn't crank the lift, and was working that shift. I discovered this barrier by accident when I went to book the 5:30 am train to get to a funeral for my cousin at 10:00 am in Toronto.

Derek, the station master for Kingston, found a way to accommodate me due to the exceptional circumstances, but after that he told me he could not accommodate me. I gather corporate headquarters had set the policy, and he was powerless to change it.

It didn't take long before I filed a complaint with the CTA (Canadian Transportation Agency) to ask for help to fix the problem. They took swift action by contacting Via Rail, and soon negotiated a satisfactory resolve. By December 21, 2010, I had 2 phone numbers; one for Derek at the Kingston Station, and one for Mr. Peters at the corporate headquarters for Via Rail. I was instructed to call either one of them a minimum of 48 hours before departure and they would make sure I was accommodated by bringing in an employee who could operate the wheelchair lift.

I've only used the service a few times since then because Kingston has no accessible public transportation to get to the train that early in the morning, but it’s good to know it will be there if I need it. A friend can drive me to the station early if need be.

When I read the article about the Kingston Station being closed in yesterday's paper, I was really upset about another barrier being erected, so I booked the Access Bus so I could go to the station today. I wanted to talk to Derek directly in person and ask questions. His was one of the contact numbers given to me by the CTA to book the early train.

When I asked him about the new hours, he told me that, to the best of his knowledge, the change would go through and I would no longer be able to take the early train. On the way out the door of the station, I saw a sign that was too high for me to read, so I snapped a picture of it so I could display it on my computer and read it when I got home. It listed the new station hours that would be in effect starting next week. The sign clearly indicated that the station would no longer be open at 5:30 am so I have no idea what the 2nd article in the newspaper was talking about today. Here is a typed version of the sign listing the new hours. The picture I took so I could read it, is included below that. It will give you a sense of how high up it was posted.

New hours for Via Rail Kingston Ticket Office

As of August 19, 2011

0030 - 0130	Except Sat, Sun, Mon
0700 - 2130	Mon/Fri
0800 - 2130	Sat
0930 - 2130	Sun

After visiting Derek and reading the sign, you can imagine my surprise when I discovered there was another article in today’s Whig Standard to refute the hour changes that were listed yesterday. (See: http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3253034) The article today said a media spokesperson from Via Rail had contacted them to say there was a mistake in the information that was given to Hannah Kaufman. She was the passenger who had alerted the media to this change so the paper could print it and alert the public.

I’m now more confused than ever because the stories no longer match anymore. I decided to try one more thing before I took action to report the problem with Via Rail back to the Canadian Transportation Agency. I got out the letter that identified the negotiated settlement reached in December of 2010 and I called Mr. Peters, the 2nd number named as a contact person to get wheelchair access on the 5:30 am train. He wasn’t in so I left a message and asked that he call back tomorrow to give me a definitive answer on the new hours of operation for the Kingston Station.

If that train is no longer available, I will have to re-open the case with the CTA and, if necessary, I will file a Charter Challenge with the federal government. If I could, I wouldn’t fight. I’d buy a $70,000 modified van, and drive to Toronto myself.

To close I want to send my sincere thanks to Hannah Kaufman and the Whig Standard for caring enough, to expose this issue to the public, through the media. (Hint: Click on the image to see a full-sized, and more ledgable, view).

Please Read My Other Blogs:
Accessibility: http://www.wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Health: http://www.wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

Travel When Using a Wheelchair: Will Plans Ever Work Out?

2011-05-04T17:23:00.004-04:00

On Friday I took off to a conference in Saint-Sauveur Quebec; a trip I had planned, and started saving money for, months ago.

Little did I know that one part of my plan fell through by Galland Bus and I would be left stranded in Montreal. I've seen discrimination before, but this was the most blunt and blatant form of discrimination I have ever seen.

What bugs me even more, was the whole transportation nightmare that I'm about to describe below, could have been avoided when I asked my fellow Toastmasters if I could join their carpool to get to the conference. They refused to give me a ride because they said they would have too much luggage and my wheelchair would take up too much space.

I then tried to charter a small bus. The costs were prohibitive, so that option was out.

I guess, reality wise, I should have accepted that I have a disability and given up, but I'm not that way inclined. I want to live as normal a life as is possible. Besides, by taking part in life, I can escape becoming depressed and a cost liability to the health care system. I can also avoid taking medications and treatments that are designed to minimize the level of chronic pain I experience each and every day. The incentives were strong enough to find another way to get to the conference in Saint Sauveur, so I made my own travel arrangements.

I called 2 local travel agencies to find out if there was a bus that goes to Saint-Sauveur and they said they didn't know. I said can you not look it up? And they said no, not unless I was committed to buying the tickets from them. I asked how can I commit when I don't know the price or if you can get me there? They said this life is about risks. I turned around and left.

I found a really helpful travel agency in Cobourg instead. They gave me the phone number for Tourism Quebec. I called them and they were extremely helpful. They told me I could take Galland Bus from Montreal to Saint-Sauveur, take the Metro (subway) from the train to the Bus station or paratransit. They weren't sure if the subway stations were accessible yet, so they gave me both numbers.

I phoned Galland Bus and asked if they were accessible. They said yes, but they needed a week's advance notice to put the bus on the route. That's what they do at Coach Canada and Ontario Northland, so I thanked them and set about making my other arrangements. I got registered on the Montreal Paratransit services, found the Galland Bus schedule to figure out the best timing for things, and then phoned the hotel to make sure it would be accessible as well. I even went to Google Maps to check out the terrain in Saint-Sauveur because I would have to be wheeling 700 m from the bus stop to the hotel when I arrived there. All things checked out so I registered for the conference. I then bought my train ticket (one of those non-refundable, non-exchangeable things). Finally, I phoned back Transport Adapte, booked my Access Bus from the train to the bus station in Montreal, and phoned Galland Bus to request that accessible bus be put on the route for 5:05 pm April 29 and 1:35 pm May 1st to get back from Saint-Sauveur. I asked if I could pay in advance and they said no. Just go up to the ticket counter and buy the ticket. They would have an accessible bus on the route. The procedure is identical to that of Ontario Northland and Coach Canada so I trusted them.

On Friday, the day of travel, for reasons I cannot explain, I had a funny feeling that led me to start phoning around to double-check everything. The first call was to Galland Bus. Would you believe they had no accessible bus on the route? They asked what day I phoned. I pulled out the phone bill and read them the date and times of the calls. They said do you know the name of who you spoke to and I said no. It was a woman and she answered enough questions I didn't feel there was any reason to doubt that she knew what she was doing. Well Galland said, sorry. You can't take the bus. They said if you can walk and get into the bus on your own, we can take you. Well, I can't walk, but I've gotten into several buses by dragging myself up the steps on my butt, so I believed it was good.

I grabbed my phone bills to take with me, switched into my manual wheelchair from my usual power wheelchair, and headed downstairs to catch the Access Bus to the train station. There I asked about refunding the train ticket. Derek, the station master in Kingston, said he would try but he could make no guarantees. I then tried to refund the conference ticket and reach the person who was depending on me to share the cost of a room in Saint Sauveur. I knew that she too, had a low income, so I was not comfortable with the idea of leaving her stranded. I couldn't reach anyone so, not wanting to waste the money that was non-refundable, and wanting to really go to the conference I decided to head to Montreal, talk to the people at the bus station in person, and if necessary, bum my way into the bus. I knew the wheelchair could be stored underneath in the luggage compartment. I never imagined that I would get to the station and be literally refused a ticket. The ticket agent said I'm not allowed to sell tickets to wheelchairs. I need your reservation number for when you reserved that accessible bus. I knew nothing about a reservation number. I showed her my phone bills to prove I had called, and she said that didn't matter; they can't just produce a bus. She then took me to the information counter. They refused to help as well. By this point I knew I was stranded so I was frantically trying to rescue myself while insisting that they had to pay for it. The first request was a taxi or access bus to Saint-Sauveur. They said No. The second request was the taxi fare back to Via Rail. Again the answer was no.

I panicked and couldn't think clearly enough to realize that, if I had $40 to pay for the 2-way bus to Saint-Sauveur, I had the money to pay for a taxi back to the train. I then heard the announcement to say the bus was at gate 18. As a last ditch attempt, I raced over to the gate with the $20 in my hand thinking I could pay the driver cash like I have seen done on GO Transit and Ontario Northland. The driver refused to take the money and he refused to let me get into the bus on my own. He then spoke into a 2-way radio in French. The next thing I knew, this person grabbed my wheelchair from behind and without warning, pulled me backwards from the bus and into the station. I grabbed the wheels to stop this assault and locked the wheels. They dragged me along anyways. My hands started to burn so I had to let go and give in. I was taken to some community workers (social workers that, I guess, have a booth at the bus station all the time). The bus then left.

I was scared and humiliated, so I was crying pretty good by this time. Those community workers tried everything, and I mean everything, to get me rescued at no cost to me, but it was impossible.

I pulled my last card (a back-up plan) I had previously arranged but one I was reluctant to take. I sent a text to a fellow Toastmaster from Kingston and told him I was stranded. I then asked if he could pick me up. He said he would, but it would take him 2 hours out of his way so that, instead of arriving in Saint Sauveur at 10 pm, he would be arriving at midnight. He was a speech contestant, so I didn't have the heart to rob him of sleep. That's why I didn't pull the card until the last minute.

I then realized that there was an express bus from downtown to the Dorval Airport. I had no idea where I was or where the highways go in relation to Montreal, but I knew airports are generally on the edge of town. I asked the community worker what highway it was near and then sent a text to Carl to ask if it would be better to meet me at the airport.

The idea worked. In fact, it shaved almost an hour's worth of extra driving time off his trip. I hopped on the bus, paid the $8, and had a wonderful 45 minute tour of Montreal on the way to the Airport. I wouldn't have seen the city if I waited for him to arrive after dark to take me to Saint-Sauveur. I guess, when the chips are down, we can find those golden moments to help keep us sane.

At the conference, without my power chair, it was very difficult, but that's another story.

For now, this message is to raise awareness. We may be able to bail ourselves out of the worst messes, and we often can recognize that things are survivable if we can put them in perspective, but what happened?

We are people. People who have a disability have far fewer opportunities, than the non-disabled, to bail ourselves out of a mess such as this. It is also against the law to discriminate against a person who uses a wheelchair, or worse, grab onto their wheelchair and take them somewhere without their permission. The person who did this could legally be charged with assault.

If a person can prove that they did their part to reserve an accessible bus by producing phone bills that show they made several calls to the bus company to make the necessary arrangements, then it is the responsibility of the bus company to get them to their destination.

I don't know what happened this time, but there are plans to follow it up to pursue a course of action.

Please Read My Other Blogs:
Accessibility: http://wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Health Care: http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

The Province Won't Interfere with Collective Bargaining, Eh?

2011-04-07T22:46:00.005-04:00

In 2008 Kingston had a 60-day Access Bus strike and 3,700 passengers were stranded in their home because Kingston has no other form of adequately reliable accessible transit. During the strike I collected over 1,000 signatures asking that the government declare Specialized Transit services essential.

It took a long time, but the petition was finally tabled in the Legislature and then a reply was received from Minister Kathleen Wynne, minister of transportation.

In her letter she said that she notes the strike is over now (I hope so - it was 2 years ago), that she would not interferre with the collective bargaining process, and that the province gives Kingston $17 million dollars a year for transit.

On reading her response I couldn't help but wonder how much she really knew about the situation in Kingston so I wrote this letter to further educate her.

Dear Minster Wynne,

I am writing in response to your letter that was forwarded to me by John Gerretsen’s office on Feb. 23, 2011. It was your written response to a petition I had submitted to his office in regards to the problems caused by a 60-day Access Bus strike in Kingston. The petition, bearing over 1,000 signatures, was asking that the service be declared an essential service.

In your response you stated,

“I understand that work stoppages, like the 9-week strike by bus drivers at Kingston Access Services, can be especially difficult for people with disabilities. However, the Province respects the collective bargaining process as a mechanism to resolve labour disputes.”

This letter was received within days of the City of Toronto request that the province support declaring the TTC an essential service. This request has since been supported by the province so that, never again, will those who have to rely on public transportation in Toronto, be stranded.

Why, may I ask you, would you support the TTC becoming an essential service, and not the services of Kingston Access Bus?

Were you aware that Kingston Access Bus is a non-profit charitable organization for which the City of Kingston holds no contract?

If you read a letter from Hal Linscott, legal council for the City of Kingston, you will see he states the following:

INFORMATION REPORT TO COUNCIL January 24, 2011 Report No.: 11.068
Page 2

Kingston Access Services
Kingston Bus for the Handicapped, carrying on business as Kingston Access Services ("KAS") is a charitable not for profit corporation incorporated by a number of individuals in 1967 under Letters Patent from the Province of Ontario. KAS is not a local board, agency or authority of the City. KAS by-laws provide that up to two members of City Council may sit on its Board of Directors.

The KAS mission statement is "to provide, in a safe and courteous manner, a reliable, efficient, transit service for persons having impaired mobility". KAS oversees the operation of the Kingston Access Bus, the Kingston Area Patients Shuttle and a
"dial a bus" service in rural areas of the City for Kingston Transit.

The City provides funding to assist KAS in paying for its operations, which are not fully funded from passenger revenue and other sources of revenue. Although there is no legal requirement for the City to provide funding for KAS, the City has the authority to do so should Council determine that is appropriate.

KAS by-laws provide that the Board cannot voluntarily dissolve the organization without the ratification by City Council of the Board's motion to dissolve. Upon dissolution, any assets net of debts and liabilities are required to be distributed to charitable organizations.

(Source: http://www.cityofkingston.ca/pdf/council/agenda/2011/COW_A0111-11068.pdf)

Kingston also has no accessible taxis that people with disabilities can use as a form of alternative transportation and Kingston Transit is still very limited on the level of service they can provide.

While some of the routes have now been declared “Easier Access” routes, this only means that there is a low-floor bus serving that route. Many bus stops do not have a curb or pavement for the ramp to extend out onto so this makes the slope dangerously steep. Due to health and safety concerns for both driver and passenger, many stops have now been restricted and wheelchair passengers have been informed that it is the drivers discretion as to whether they will pick us up or not.

For this reason we have now had to go back to using the Access Bus full-time, and if we are on an income that places us below the low-income cut-off amount, we are not able to avail ourselves of the city’s new Municipal Transportation Subsidy that was started about a year ago to help low income passengers afford the cost of their bus. To illustrate why this is a problem, last year I paid $1,710.00 for transit because I must use specialized transit, whereas a person who qualified for the subsidy and could take conventional transit and pay a maximum of $528.00 for unlimited rides in a year. To learn about the subsidy, see: (http://www.cityofkingston.ca/residents/transportation/transit/fee-assistance/index.asp)

The rationale used for the exclusion is that the Access Bus is a non-profit charitable organization over which the city has no contract, and therefore no ability to control how they set their rates.

I am giving you these extra details to illustrate how little support people with disabilities can get from the city.

During the Access Bus strike I was working full-time and I never missed a day of work. Instead I cut my sleep down to 4 hours at night and used my natural streak of high energy and determination to push myself to carry on.

I got up each day at 4:30 am so I could be on the road and driving to work by power wheelchair at 6:00 am. It took me 1 hour to travel 11 kms. to the Cataraqui Town Centre where I caught a Kingston Transit bus to take the final 10 minute trip up a street with no sidewalks and a speed limit 60 kph, so I could get there safely.

There was a low-floor bus that I could take from near my home but because of an extreme reaction to scent (it triggers an asthma attack), I could never get on the bus early in the morning because the freshly applied scents were too strong. It was this health risk that made it impossible to take conventional transit because when I can’t breathe, I get disoriented, panic, and have to get off of the bus.

At work I charged my power wheelchair the full 8 hours so I could have enough juice to run errands, often late into the evening, and go home. I also took time to buy groceries for other wheelchair users who had no other choice to get out of their homes when the drivers for Access Bus were on strike. Kingston does not have a grocery order and delivery service similar to the Grocery Gateway in Toronto.

When the strike ended 6 buses had to be taken off the road because the school board pulled their contract and with it, the 13% of the annual funding they gave the service to take young school children to school. Losing the funding was a huge blow to the service because the city did not replace the funds.

With the loss of the buses, I was informed by the service that my subscription service to work was permanently gone.

You see, in order for the Access Bus to accommodate me and take me to work for a shift that started at 8 am, the Executive Director had made a deal with a driver to start work ½ hour early and end ½ hour early. The normal hours of operation are 7:30 am – 10:30 pm Monday – Friday and 9:00 am – 10:30 pm on Saturday and Sunday.

When I got ill I applied for EI Sick benefits and thought reason would prevail so I could return to work. Little did I know that no solution could be found and I would be forced to wait out the 4 months necessary for EI to run out before I could return to ODSP under the rapid reinstatement program. To get back on ODSP for even just the coverage for extended health care, they take income and subtract the cost of shelter and, if you qualify, the special diet allowance. They don’t take into consideration the cost for catheter supplies, wheelchair repairs, or the replacement of my 8 year old CPAP machine for sleep apnea because it died just after I was forced to quit the job.

In the collective bargaining process, a stop was put to making this sort of accommodation so, after 4 months of trying to compensate for the lost transportation and subsequent lack of sleep, I burned out, became emotionally unwell, and as forced to quit my job.

I am a woman who, at the age of 47, got my first full-time job and was fully able to leave ODSP. I was successfully able to hold onto that job for 18 months until the stress caused by literally having no access to public transportation got the better of me, and I had to quit. To get and keep a job for that long when most of my life, a disability had prevented me from getting and keeping even a part-time job, was a huge milestone for me so when I had to quit for health reasons related to my disability, it was a huge disappointment.

I don’t know if the full cost of the damage caused to me by the strike can be calculated but suffice it to say I had to wait 4 months to get back on ODSP and endure the insulting punishment of having not enough income to buy disability related medical supplies, fix my wheelchair, or replace my CPAP machine; some thanks for trying to work and break free of social assistance. The shock that came as a result of this situation eventually sunk me into a situational depression that was bad enough that I had to be hospitalized for 9 days. For curiousity sake I looked up the cost of the stay in hospital on the internet and, using the costs quoted for 2006 (because it was all I could find), I figure the total cost to the health care system for that 9-day stay was $7,218.00; all this because of an Access Bus Strike and a community that has not taken steps to ensure there is an alternative form of tranportation for wheelchair users and those with mobility impairments.

It’s too bad that you feel that collective bargaining rights can take away the rights of a person with a disability to get and keep a job.

I therefore ask that after reading this, you:

Ask how the city apportions the $17 million between Kingston Access Bus and Kingston Transit. This is the amount you said in your letter that the province was providing to Kingston to assist with the cost of providing public transportation to its citizens. Is the amount being fairly distributed between the 2 services? My guess is, it is not.
Investigate, or ask the City of Kingston, why they hold no contract with the services of Kingston Access Bus so that, in the case of a work stoppage, the city can ensure that passengers who use specialized transit can still continue to work, attend medical appointments, buy groceries, or at least do the bare minimum of tasks that are essential for daily living so one can maintain their level of health. Wheelchair users should not be getting stress related illnesses because the employer, city, and medical profession chose not to provide the proper disability accommodations to one who uses a wheelchair and can’t stand up.

There must be some way to legally require the City of Kingston to provide one form of wheelchair accessible transportation in the event of strike action or work stoppage so that, never again, will we have to give up our rights, source of income, and health.
Investigate why Kingston took the Accessible taxis off the road and, to date, has never replaced them.
Investigate why Kingston has been allowed to change the rules so that, according to a letter from the transit manager and instructions that were printed on the latest bus map, wheelchair users can no longer count on being able to use all the bus stops on an Easier Access route.

All these actions are discriminatory, violate the Ontario Human Rights Code, and run counter to the Accessibility for Ontarian’s With Disabilities Act that the government will soon be making enforceable across the province.

Please help to find a solution, if declaring the service essential is not something you're willing to do.

Please read my other Blogs:
Accessibility: http://wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Health Care: http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

Bus Fare Increase in Kingston: The Unpublished Secret

2011-04-05T11:34:00.003-04:00

I need your help. Please read this and then write the city of Kingston to complain in solidarity with the passengers who need to use the Access Bus.

There is an unpublished secret about a bus fare increase on transit in Kingston. On January 20, 2011 the EMC, a free newspaper in Kingston, published an article that said transit fares may go up. In the article it said the fare increases were being proposed, they had not been approved by council yet.

When nothing more appeared in the news, I assumed, incorrectly that council had vetoed the plan. The only reason I started to wonder about it was that a new sign went up in the Access Buses the other day and it said our bus fares will be going up to $2.50 on July 1, 2011.

Historically the fares for Access Bus only go up when there is a fare increase for Kingston Transit as well, so I searched the City of Kingston website and found nothing. I then phoned the city to ask and, sure enough, the fares will go up. She quoted the increased costs over the phone for each type of fare media so I wrote them down and put them in a chart for your perusal.

A chart to show the bus fare increases for each type of fare media.

Month	Access Bus cost $2.25/trip	# trips	Forecasted cost at $2.50/trip
January	$108.00	48	$120.00
February	87.75	39	97.50
March	78.75	35	87.50
April	78.75	35	87.50
May	150.75	67	167.50
June	123.75	55	137.50
July	85.50	38	95.00
August	130.50	58	145.00
September	162.00	72	180.00
October	141.75	63	157.50
November	211.50	94	235.00
December	180.00	80	200.00
Total	$1,539.00	684	$1,710.00

The fare increase is really going to hurt passengers who use the Access Bus because the majority are on a fixed income and can barely afford to survive as it is.

After reading these costs, I got curious and decided to see what it will cost me for next year if, in the unrealistic scenario, I were to take the exact number of trips each month on the Access Bus as I did last year. I based this on the printed manifest for Access Bus in 2010 that shows the confirmed number of trips I took with them last year.

My Confirmed Access Bus Costs for 2010

Fare Media	2009-2010	July 2011	% increase
Cash
Adult	$2.25	$2.50	11.1
Senior (65 and over)	$2.00	$2.25	12.5
Youth (6-18 years old)	$2.00	$2.25	12.5
Multi-ride Card (Reloadable 10-Ride)
Adult	$20.00	$21.50	7.5
Senior (65 and over)	$15.00	$16.25	8.3
Youth (6-18 years old)	$15.00	$16.25	8.3
My Tickets (Disposable 10-Ride)
Adult	$20.00	$21.50	7.5
Senior (65 and over)	$15.00	$16.25	8.3
Youth (6-18 years old)	$15.00	$16.25	8.3
Monthly Card
Adult	$65.00	$68.25	5.0
Senior (65 and over)	$44.00	$46.25	5.1
Youth (6-18 years old)	$48.00	$50.50	5.2
The Affordable Transit Pass
Adults	$44.00	$46.50	5.7
Youth	$33.00	$34.25	3.8
Seniors	$30.00	$31.50	5.0

To use take the same number of rides (684) on Kingston Transit, there would have been a choice of paying for:

68 multi-ride cards + 4 cash fares for a total of $1,472.00
12 Affordable bus passes for a total of $558.00, or
12 Full-priced bus passes for a total of $819.00

Naturally, on an ODSP income, I would choose to apply for, and use the affordable bus pass. I’d still like to know why Kingston created a discriminatory policy, when they created the Municipal Transportation Subsidy, because it only applies to those who can take Kingston Transit. The passengers who take Kingston Access Bus must pay way more than anyone else who takes transit, even though our fixed incomes are the same, or in some cases lower, than those who can take the conventional transit.

Please note the transit costs shown above are because for the first 6 months I was buying the subsidized bus pass for Kingston Transit so I could minimize my Access Bus use. The total cost, including what I paid for Kingston Transit, was $1,911.00.

I had to stop buying the discounted pass in August when a policy change gave the drivers the discretion to choose whether to pick up a wheelchair passenger at a stop where the ramp appeared to be too steep. After being left on the side of the road a few times and confirming the existence of a new safety policy with the transit manager, I had to give up buying the subsidized pass and go back to using the Access Bus full-time. I still buy the odd multi-ride card because there are times when I can use Kingston Transit, but because I needed reliable access to transit, I have more or less had to give up on taking them. A strong reaction to scent (it causes an asthma attack) doesn't help either because I am the one who has to get off of the bus.

The cost of the multi-ride card lowers the costs slightly but not as much as it used to. This is because,when transit revamped the subsidy program and expanded it to benefit youth, seniors, and those who had an income below the Low-income cut-off amount, but who weren’t on ODSP (Ontario Disability Supports Program) or OW (Ontario Works), they cut down on the number of choices for the type of fare media you can buy.

Losing the choice of paying for fewer rides on conventional transit had a huge negative impact on the costs for Access Bus passengers because our transit costs went up drastically. When I complained, I discovered, much to my chagrin, that I was the only one who complained so my appeal for justice and a less discriminatory policy was ignored completely. I cut off my cable and, for awhile, my Internet, and until I can get others to write letters and complain as well, I will just have to absorb the costs and try to learn how to manage with even less.

The rationale for not applying the subsidy to the Kingston Access Bus, according to the city, is it's a charitable non-profit corporation for which they have no contract, and therefore, no control.

If you agree this is a problem and is violating the Ontario Human's Right Code and the Accessibility For Ontarian's With Disabilities Act (AODA), please write the City’s complaints department at contactus@cityofkingston.ca and CC a copy to the mayor at mgerretsen@cityofkingston.ca

Thanks in advance for your support.

Please read my other Blogs:
Accessibility: http://wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Health Care: http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

Make Transit Affordable to All, Including Those Who Take Specialized Transit

2011-03-19T10:59:00.001-04:00

On March 18, 2011 Helen Henderson wrote an article in the Toronto Star about the need for transit to be affordable to those on a low income. (See: Direct Access: Extend Reduced TTC Fares to People With Disabilities, Group Urges). She is supporting the very real need for there to be a subsidy made available to low-income passengers who use the TTC. In the article she holds out as an example, Kingston for its subsidy of transit.

Her facts are accurate for thsoe taking conventional transit, but it is not for those taking specialized. Therefore, I wrote her this letter. I'll share it here to raise awareness beyond our borders as well. That way, people when pushing for affordable transit in their cities, won't overlook the needs of one particular group.

I'm living by the motto, "You can't fix what you don't know is broke."

Here is the letter:

Hi Helen,

I appreciated seeing your article today in the Toronto Star about affordable transit. It is vital that all people can access this valuable service.

As a person who lives in Kingston, I just thought I'd point out one technicality about the reduced fares. The reduced fares apply only to the conventional transit system. It does not apply to the Access Bus. The Access Bus is a non-profit charitable organization, for which the city holds no contract, so the City won't apply the subsidy to them.

Worse, starting in early 2010 wheelchair passengers were told that too many stops on the conventional transit route are unsafe, so we were recommended to go back to using the Access Bus for the majority of our trips. Only 105 out of 849 bus stops are wheelchair accessible city wide.

We can still take conventional transit, but according to instructions on the bus map, wheelchair users are to call transit to ask about the accessibility of a bus stop before boarding the bus. Failure to do so could mean having to get off several stops away from one's desired destination.

To give you a cost comparison, those using conventional transit and qualify for the subsidy pay only $44.00 per month and then get unlimited rides.

Those taking the Access Bus pay $2.25 per trip and there is no discount for those who take the bus regularly. This means some of us are paying an average of $180 per month for the bus.

Considering the department stores have been closed downtown, the grocery store, that once was around the corner has been closed, and there are very few affordable and accessible stores left in my neighbourhood, I am having to take more buses than ever before. Worse, the grocery store moved to a new location so they run a free shuttle bus for the people in this neighbourhood to continue shopping in their store, but the bus is not wheelchair accessible.

I, too, am on ODSP so in order to survive I had to cut off cable, cut down on food, and give up taking part in social and recreational activities. I've also had to limit the amount of volunteer work I do because, unlike Toronto, we don't have the $100 incentive for ODSP recipients to volunteer.

If you ever do another article on transit and its costs, please take note of this and, if possible, include a note about the cost differences for wheelchair users vs the general population in some cities.

Thank you.

Please read my other Blogs:
Accessibility: http://wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Health Care: http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

A Strange Solution to Fix Barrier to Bus Shelter

2011-03-14T10:46:00.000-04:00

I am writing to apologize to the citizens of Kingston for the removal of the doors from the bus shelters at the Kingston Centre. I saw the change for the first time yesterday, and I have already been asked why I complained. People know I'm an activist for barrier removal, so it didn't take long to figure out that I was likely involved. Their guess is right, so I am writing this letter to fully explain the extent of the problem.

In 2006 when I first started using the bus, I discovered the doors would only open a few feet before they would hit a strong resistance and stop me from opening the door wide enough to pass through with a wheelchair. Without help, I could not get in or out of the shelter.

Often a kind citizen would let me in, but if they left on a bus, I would be left trapped inside for 15 minutes until another bus came along and I could ask the driver or another passenger to let me out. For this reason, I had some real health and safety concerns.

I have complained about this one many times, but until now, the complaint had not been acted upon.

I don't get it because several years ago I noticed the hydraulic hinges were poking out through the door jam. I asked a builder if this was normal and they said no; that the hinges were likely installed incorrectly. I've also seen the door to my apartment transformed from being really hard to open, to being really easy to open by simply putting a level to it and doing a few minor adjustments to the door.

It is for these reasons, that I was really taken aback to see transit take off the doors instead of fixing or replacing the hinges. With the doors gone, transit users have now lost the tiny bit of shelter that they afforded us from the wind, cold, and elements. For this, I am truly sorry.

I'm not sure this is what the province had in mind when it created legislation to enforce the removal of barriers as per the AODA (Accessibility For Ontarian's With Disabilities Act).

Please read my other Blogs:
Accessibility: http://wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Health: http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

No Human Rights Enforcement for Transit?

2010-12-18T20:55:00.001-05:00

On Friday, I went through an exercise of major frustration. I phoned all over the place trying to find enforcement for a human rights settlement against Kingston Transit that was made in 2006 through the Human Rights Commission.

At this point I have already spent 6 months trying to get the Kingston Transit routes, that were once declared as being “Fully Accessible” back to being that way. But so far, it has been to no avail. For reasons I cannot explain, the transit manager has decided that, because of bus stop design and safety issues, the accessibility of routes can be diminished by simply renaming the routes as “Easier Access” routes.

In the agreement that was won and signed by me in 2006, it was agreed that Route 1 would become fully accessible on, or about, October 2, 2006 and that, as they purchased more buses, more routes were to be declared fully accessible. Further, the agreement stated that they were to include accessibility in the design and planning of new bus stops, and ensure there was proper snow clearance so a wheelchair can get to them.

Well, after many months of making an inquiry here and an inquiry there, I went into overdrive on Friday to try to find a solution. I first of all, thought I would renew my efforts to find a lawyer so I could stop playing guessing games about where to turn. No Go.

The Human Rights legal support centre had already informed me that this was not a Human Rights case; that there had already been a decision made about the accessibility of transit. It was not their job to enforce old settlements.

I called ARCH legal services and then I followed the advice that was on their answering machine. It said I was to call the Legal Aid Services of Ontario and it provided me with a phone number.

I called them and they said they couldn’t take a Human Rights case; that I should call the Pro Bono Lawyers of Ontario, or the Law Society of Upper Canada Lawyer Referral Service. I was then given both of their phone numbers.

The Pro Bono line dead ended, in that the message didn't give me the option to go to something useful that I could follow through with. The Law Society of Upper Canada Lawyer Referral Service gave me the contact info for 1 Human Rights Lawyer in Kingston and 2 who were in Belleville. I was also warned that they may not take the case because I said would need it on a contingency basis. The best I could do was leave a message to describe the situation and then be told that I would get a call back sometime in the New Year.

Due to the uncertainty that these calls left me with, and the fact that I was told that this is an enforcement case not a new Human Rights case, I decided to expand on my field of enquiry.

I changed my focus to look for enforcement of the original agreement instead.

I called the Human Rights Tribunal first because, according to the Human Rights Commission's web site, they no longer work on human rights cases. You can’t even contact them by phone or email anymore. The person who answered the phone at the Human Rights Tribunal asked me for the file number. When I started to give it from the case that was settled in 2006 she cut me short and said we don’t deal with cases that were settled by the Human Rights Commission. I asked her what she recommended I do and she said to call the Human Rights Legal Support centre, the very ones who said they can’t deal with this case because it has already been settled under the terms of the Ontario Human Rights Code.

I have gone full circle AGAIN. By the looks of it, there is no way to break out of this cyclical pattern so I can regain my right to a life. This has been going on for 6 months ever since the manager of Kingston Transit wrote me to say that, due to bus stop design and safety issues about the steepness of the ramp, wheelchair users are recommended to go back to using the [more expensive, and less available] Access Bus on a full time basis. All I want is to afford the cost of taking transit so I can get my cable back and return to eating a more healthy and wholesome diet. I should not be expected to absorb the added cost of taking specialized transit just because Kingston Transit has made some mistakes when designing new bus stops and they have taken the liberty to tell the drivers that they no longer have to pick up a wheelchair if they think the ramp into the bus is too steep due to the lack of a curb.

This whole situation has been made worse by the city’s decision to provide a subsidized bus pass to low-income Kingstonian’s who can use Kingston Transit, but not to those who need to use the Access Bus. This means a qualified adult will pay $44 to get unlimited rides on conventional transit and the people who use the Access Bus will pay somewhere between $150 - $200 per month, if they go out a lot like I do. I don’t think people realize that, because the cash fare is the same for an adult on both services but on conventional transit people can buy multi-ride cards and bus passes which will substantially lower the cost over the long term.

It is surprising to see how many people don’t even realize that people have to pay for the Access Bus. They seem to think it is free. For this reason, I would say that it is clearly obvious that more education about this, and other transit related issues, is clearly needed.

It is incomprehensible how a case can be won and, then because one is disabled and can't work due to the number of barriers, they are now vulnerable to losing accessible service because they are not in a financial position to pay for a lawyer so they can enforce their rights.

Please read my other Blogs:
Accessibility: http://wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Health: http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

Transit Barriers to Toronto and Back

2010-12-11T18:00:00.000-05:00

On Monday, Dad phoned me to tell me a cousin had died, and that the funeral would be in Toronto on Wednesday. I asked him if he could help me to get there and he said no. He was too busy and suggested that I don't go because of the difficulty in accommodating the wheelchair. I would have none of it. I was determined to be at the funeral. The trick was to find accessible public transportation that could get me to Toronto Wednesday morning in time for the 10:30 am service.

I already knew, after making enquiries a few days before, that wheelchairs are not allowed to board the train in Kingston because an employee, who normally works that shift, has a disability that prevents her from using the lift to board a wheelchair onto the train. I looked into taking a bus instead, but the times were not practical.

I decided my only option was to call the station master at Kingston, explain the situation, and ask if the employee shifts could be changed. Alternatively, I offered to bring a person who could help out instead.

He said it was printed in the formal schedule that wheelchairs were not allowed, but that he would call around and see what he could do. I couldn't find anything on the Via Rail web site to indicate this, so I'm still not sure what he is talking about. However, a short while later he called me back, said a different employee would be working that day and that he would "bend the rules, put his job on the line" and let me onboard. I ignored the attempt at a guilt trip and, instead, sincerely thanked him for his help. I then made a reservation and paid for the ticket.

The next challenge was to figure out how to get to the train, because there is no wheelchair accessible transportation at that time of the morning. Conventional and Specialized Transit don't start running that early, and Kingston does not have accessible taxis.

I phoned an acquaintance who, in the past has told me she would be willing to help me out with a drive, in a pinch. She not only agreed to drive me to the train on Wednesday morning, but she also made a brilliant suggestion. She suggested we take my power wheelchair to Via Rail Tuesday evening and store it there overnight because she knew how often I had been stranded in Toronto and thought the power chair would be much safer. I phoned Via Rail to make sure they could store it, and then arranged for the Access Bus to take me to the station to drop off the chair. Dianne followed me in her car with my manual wheelchair.

The next day, she picked me up at 4:30 am, drove me to the train, and I was home free, or so I thought. However, I should have known better because experience has taught me that having a disability can be a logistical nightmare.

I got to Toronto and discovered that Wheel-Trans, which was scheduled for 9:05, was so late that, at 9:50 I abandoned it for the subway. According to the Priority Line, the bus would not be arriving for another 20 minutes and it would take a half an hour to get to the church. Seeing no point in arriving at the church after the funeral was over, I headed for the subway. By doing this, I was able to get to the church by 10:15. I had already done my homework to figure out the routes the day before because I knew from bitter experience, that Wheel-Trans could not be depended upon.

At the funeral, I found out there would be a reception that would be held in a place that was 2 blocks down the road. It was scheduled for 12 - 2 pm. I phoned Wheel-Trans to ask if I could change the pick-up location and delay the time by about 30 minutes, but I gather flexibility is not allowed. By this point, I had been on the phone for 40 minutes so, it was frustrating to wait that long only to be told that I can't do what most humans would do; attend the reception. I hung up the phone, decided to forget the bus and accept the penalty for being a no-show. I then went to the reception. I knew the route back to Union Station so I figured I could take the subway back in time to catch the 3:15 train to Kingston. I left the reunion at 2:15 and headed for St. George’s station. I believed I had ample time to get there to be pre-boarded the required 20-30 minutes before the train left. After all, I was in a building located right beside the subway and the elevator had worked well in the morning.

I must be a dreamer to have thought it would work out because, in the end, nothing did. Silly me; I keep forgetting that the rules for wheelchair users differ widely from those that exist for the non-disabled.

What happened is when I went back to the St. George's subway station; the one that I had exited from in the morning, the elevator was no longer working. Not only that, but when I tried to pay my token by sticking it in the coin slot beside the accessible gate, I was yelled at by the TTC ticket lady for using it instead of handing it to her directly and letting her push a button that would swing open the gate. How was I supposed to know? I don't live in Toronto, for Pete's sake.

Anyway, she let me through the gate and didn't think to warn me that I would be trapped because the elevator was no longer working. Worse, once I was in, she was so rattled that she couldn’t figure out how to let me out.

When she realized her mistake, she escalated and started to yell across the room to tell me I should have checked out the TTC website before going to the station to get an elevator status update. I didn’t bother to tell her that I had already activated the TTC Alerts the night before, and expected that any elevator breakdowns would be announced through the alerts, which I could receive on my cell phone. She then told me she couldn’t refund my token or let me out until her supervisor arrived. Thankfully, a passenger came to the rescue. He handed me a token and then helped me to get out of the gate.

When I got out of the St. George’s station I was at a complete loss as to where to go next because I already knew that I could not take the subway from St. George’s on the Bloor Street line to the Yonge Street line and transfer, because the elevator was still out of service. I also knew that the stations at Spadina and Museum, on the Bloor-Danforth line, were not wheelchair accessible.

Instead, I pulled out my Toronto map, got my bearings, and was able to retain a level enough head to figure it out. Sadly, this is not the first time I’ve been stranded in Toronto, so this time, I went there over-prepared in a way that, I originally thought was overkill, but I now know was a good thing. It saved my life and helped me get to the train. I was able to figure out that I could head south in my power wheelchair on Avenue Road, go around Queen’s Park, and then hopefully find an accessible subway station somewhere along the way so I could get back to Union Station before the train to Kingston, left at 3:15 that afternoon.

I raced south, dodging an incredible number of pedestrians that you never see in such numbers in Kingston, and finally found an accessible station at Queen's Park. I hastily boarded the subway, headed south for Union Station and said a fervent prayer that there would be no more obstacles, got out at Union Station, raced upstairs, dodged through the wall of people lined up for GO Transit, dashed up the next elevator to the Via Rail level, raced up the ramp, found a red cap, showed him my ticket, and apologized for arriving late to pre-board. He started to remind me how late I was, then took one look at me and apologized. He could see I was close to tears.
He then asked what was wrong. I told him about my TTC experience and he was furious. I was apparently the second passenger that day that had had a rather nightmarish experience with the TTC. Apparently the other passenger was also clearly shaken by the experience. I was relieved to know I was not alone, but what the heck is going on?

Are people with disabilities and passengers such a nuisance, that the employees don’t believe they need to bother doing their jobs, deliver good customer service, or be polite?
Does the TTC not expect their employees to do better?
Does the top brass at the TTC properly train and support their employees?

It was clearly evident that the employee who worked in the subway station was seriously frustrated and stressed out beyond the point where she could be rational anymore. My question is, why?

I obviously made it to the train and got back to Kingston, but the next day, I couldn’t help but wonder about the health of that clearly stressed out employee. I also wondered how other passengers, especially tourists and the disabled would be able to manage in a similar situation, so I decided to call the customer service line, register a complaint, and add that I was very concerned about how she was handling the stress. I was also very concerned about her inability to provide adequate help, when she was so stressed out.

As a customer who doesn’t live in Toronto and already has limited options in using public transit because of a wheelchair, it was not a good scene to have her lose it like that.

Having worked in customer service before, I know that one of the most important lessons you can learn when speaking to a customer, is to keep your voice calm, cool, and collected, so you don’t invite a more animated response in return. The more she escalated, the more I escalated back and, in hindsight, I regret that I didn’t put my customer service training to good use to diffuse the situation. Fear does that I guess.

Wheelchair Users – An Important Tip Regarding the TTC Alerts:
According to TTC Customer Service, they do not send out email alerts when an elevator breaks down. Instead, we are to check the web site or phone one of two customer service lines, depending on the time of the day. I will be writing to request that these alerts be included, to make it more convenient.

Please read my other Blogs:
Accessibility: http://wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Health: http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

Traffic Calming Measures on Rideau Street

2010-12-11T17:23:00.001-05:00

As a result of an article printed in the Whig Standard yesterday (see: Humps Gives Drivers Bumps) about the new speed humps on Rideau Street, I have been motivated to head outside to take some video clips of rush hour traffic bouncing over the new, ridiculously high speed bumps.

Here is the video. After watching this, read the whole story below.

The debate about traffic on Rideau Street has been going on for over a decade. I was one of the originals who blocked the street for several hours to protest the lack of a safe crossing for seniors and the disabled.

That little protest got us the ...courtesy crosswalk (not that anyone knows what courtesy means).

Then the city had to audacity to move the crosswalk to a place that is useless for those who use a mobility device. We had to return to taking our life in our hands to J-Walk.

What drives me nuts is that years ago, a city official did a presentation to our building saying the posted speed limit is 40 kms/hr and the average traffic speed is 56 kms/hr. He then went on to say they have to go with what the traffic is willing to bear - that they can't add speed humps (due to emergency vehicles) and he can't add a proper crosswalk, or better yet, a traffic signal that can be activated with a button press, because the cars won't accept it.

Now we have stupid speed humps.

It is beyond me to understand why the city won't park a cop out there for a week to enforce the law? Speeding in a designated safe zone, where the limit is 40 km zone, like it is here, comes with a hefty fine. I'm sure 1 week's worth of fines followed by period traffic stops at random after that, would be far cheaper than wrecking the rads on people's cars, or laying the concrete to build them.

Over the years, I wrote the following letters to the city about ongoing problems with the safety of that crossing, and the subsequent changes that were made to improve it by the city.

From: Louise
Sent: Friday, February 05, 2010 10:14 PM
To: Contactus
Subject: Moved Crosswalk at Rideaucrest no longer viable to use - why?

To Whom it May Concern,

Many months ago a study was done to determine the practicality of moving the crosswalk in front of Rideaucrest as a traffic calming measure. An opportunity to provide feedback was offered, but the public input meeting was held at the Invista Centre. This is a bad location for people from my building to get to from here. We can use the city bus during the day, but in the evening we would not have been able to leave unless we were prepared to walk to the stop at Assurant. Further, we were advised that the input meetings were for property owners, not apartment dwellers.

What is even more disturbing is the fact that the people from my building who attended the meeting and voiced their concerns about the crosswalk being moved were disregarded. Why?
Here is a quote from the consultant's study. (Source: http://www.cityofkingston.ca/pdf/transportation/TrafficCalming_2008_FinalReport.pdf)

Rideau Street – The voter turnout was 58% and 82% of the respondents were in favour of the proposed traffic calming installation. The voting patterns for the proposed project indicated strong support from residents for the initiative. However, the original proponents for this project were the residents of Rideaucrest Towers and they collectively voted against the plan. That notwithstanding, we recommend proceeding with the design and implementation of the plan because it will accomplish the intended goal of slowing traffic down on Rideau Street and providing a safer environment at the courtesy crossing. Following implementation, we further recommend that a follow up survey be undertaken of the residents to determine if they change their opinion once the measures have been installed and have been operational for six to twelve months.

Since then, I have had occasion to try the new crosswalk and it is simply not useful or practical. I live in Rideaucrest Towers so the path I would have to take to access the crosswalk is to head south to the driveway entrance, hang a sharp right onto the sidewalk, hang a sharp left at the crosswalk and cross the street. I would then have to hang a left to cross Raglan Road and head to the bus stop.

The old crosswalk was not very usable either because of the need to take the sharp right and then left. But at least it was close enough to the driveway and the cars knew enough to stop if a person using a wheelchair didn't use the little sidewalk path. Now that the crosswalk has been moved to a location that is further away, the cars definitely will not stop. It also adds to the distance that people have to walk to the bus stop. This is not practical for those with limited mobility; those who use walkers, canes, a wheelchair, or a scooter.

The moving of this crosswalk has created a new barrier. Please fix it by moving it back. The hump can still be used to slow the traffic, and the paint can be added to the old crosswalk location without causing much of a problem. In fact, it might even make the crosswalk a little safer because the cars will be slowing down in at least one direction before they actually get to where the people cross the road.

Please call or email me with an update on what can be done to resolve this program.

Louise

From: wheelchairdemon
Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2010 12:42 PM
To: Green, Deanna
Subject: Traffic calming measures.... a question

Hi Deanna,

I have a question about the proposed traffic calming measures.

In looking at the image below, I do not see an indication of the new speed hump where the courtesy crossing was relocated to, last Fall. I drew in the location where I think it should be (hopefully on scale).
When I look at this, and the location of hump #1 (where I penned in the question about whether that would meet up with the bus stop), it dawned on me that perhaps the courtesy crosswalk could be moved to that hump instead? It is my understanding that there is no money left in the budget to create a curb cut in the parking lot in front of Rideaucrest, so perhaps moving the crosswalk to a location that is in line with the pedestrian traffic flow to the bus stop or downtown, at the time of building the new hump, would create an alternative, accessible, and safer solution for the majority of residents who live in this neighbourhood.

As it stands now, and as I pointed out in an earlier email, the new location for the crosswalk has created an new barrier for those who want to walk from Rideaucrest Towers or the Nursing home, to the bus stop or downtown. Many, including me when I use my manual wheelchair, can't manage the extra distance so we J-walk. This means the new location of the crosswalk has created an unsafe condition for the ones who need it the most.

My question is this. Would it be feasible to ask the construction crew to add a curb cut and pavement over the grass so that the courtesy crossing can be moved to the proposed location for hump 1? If they're building up the pavement, it is my hope that they could do a saw cut to remove the curb, smooth it out with the raised hump, and make a safer, and more accessible courtesy crosswalk at that location.

I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,
Louise

Subject: RE: Traffic calming measures.... a question
Date: Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:26:14 -0400
From: Green, Deanna
To: wheelchairdemon

Louise,

Our concern with moving the crosswalk south of Raglan Road it that it moves the crossing even father from the intersection. We can however consider once we determine what the plans will be for the remainder of Rideau Street.

Thanks,
Deanna

My only comment to this response from a city official is, this is not an answer, and now we have the humps.... and the unhappy drivers.

Please read my other Blogs:
Transit: http://wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Health: http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

Update on Courtesy Seating on Transit Issue

2010-09-13T16:36:00.000-04:00

Well, today I got a letter from the manager from Kingston Transit saying she spent the weekend reviewing various things; letters from 2 individuals (I was one) and the proposed Integrated Standard that will soon be coming down from the province, and she has decided to withdraw her motion.

At first, I thought this was great news. But then I thought about it. If she was withdrawing the motion, what protection would we have left? If she had to create the motion she must of felt there were problems. Besides, I knew there were problems because, on at least one occasion, I had been left on the side of the road to wait for the next bus.

So I wrote her back and asked that she solidify the more sensible motion; the one that would ensure there was courtesy seating for seniors, people with disabilities, and parents with strollers, but that this group be prioritized according to need as well. In other words, if a person got on with a wheelchair, the strollers would have to move.

She wrote back and said there was no need to pass the policy because it already existed.

Huh? You mean there was a good policy and they were trying to defeat it? I had to re-read the suggested report that was supposed to be passed into a motion in Council tomorrow night, Sept 14th, to find out why there was a problem. Nothing was making sense anymore.

Well, I re-read it and I got mad. I decided enough was enough so I wrote her back a VERY HARSH letter telling her her actions were discriminatory and she should give up her job.

Here is the letter. This letter was sent to her, the Accessibility Advisory Committee, and all city councillors, including the mayor. I am boiling mad.

Hi Sheila,

You have me completely and totally puzzled.

In your report you say, "Kingston Transit has received numerous complaints from both passengers and operators who have asked that we review the current policy and provide clear direction on the use of this space."

Okay, then I guess the policy exists. But why, may I ask, did you believe that the policy needed to be changed to provide equal access for parents with strollers?

For that matter, why did you feel you can counter the opinion of the MAAC, a committee that must exist by law, when they have clearly voted against Kingston Transit even changing the policy to begin with?

Just because Transit found it inconvenient to enforce one of their policies does not mean you can automatically ignore their opinion and change the law so that it will discriminate against the disabled.

To use a stroller is a choice - a convenience. It is not mandatory. Therefore, it is not, as you say in the report, a mobility device for children.

A wheelchair is NOT a choice. It is mandatory for people who, because of a disability, can no longer walk to get around.

Here are some quotes from the Ontario Human Rights Commission Web site (Source: http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/issues/disability)

..... In some circumstances, employees with disabilities may require special arrangements or “accommodations” .... (if you read the act further you will see that this applies to more than just an employment relationship).

Customers, clients and tenants with disabilities also have the right to equal treatment and equal access to facilities and services. “Facilities and services” could be restaurants, shops, hotels, and movie theatres, as well as apartment buildings, transit and other public places.

Basically, what I am saying is your attempt to change the policy to one that would be more convenient for transit is one of the most blatant examples of discrimination I have ever seen. I am truly sorry you feel that we can be equal to the able-bodied, or that we should endure the hardship of not being able to get on the bus, and perhaps wait in the rain, because you think strollers should be given equal access to the tie-down section in the front of the bus.

I am seriously concerned about your attitude and, to be honest, I do not believe you should be able to keep your job with Kingston Transit.

Other examples of your failure to accommodate the disabled were made evident when you phoned me to tell me that, because of my scent sensitivity and your concern about the steepness of ramps at certain stops, that I should go back to using the Access Bus for all trips for which I would need to get to a destination on time.

You made it very clear that you would not enforce a scent free policy so, if I needed to get off the bus to breathe, so be it.

You also said the driver would be allowed to refuse to pick me up or drop me off at certain stops if HE or SHE decided it was unsafe. In that conversation I told you how I would often wait in a place that was safer; where there was a curb, and the bus would still stop at the curb cut, but it did not seem to matter. You still said the driver can refuse to let me board if he or she thought the ramp was too steep. This attitude too, is discriminatory.

I gave in after your phone call and started using the Access Bus full-time, and basically stopped using your service, because I could not handle the emotional turmoil of not knowing if I could stay on the bus and make it to my destination on time.

Let me make this clear.

Wearing scent is optional - breathing is not.

Therefore, there is no reason why a driver can't ask a passenger to sit at the back of the bus, or if need be, catch the next one if their scent is causing a serious health issue in another passenger.

The design of bus stops is not my problem. Kingston Transit started to take wheelchairs in Nov 2006. Since then several new bus stops were built with curb cuts in them so this has made them unsafe for a wheelchair. It has also made it impossible for us to board the bus at some stops.

To adopt a policy that says we can't use your service if we can't independently board or disembark from a bus because the stops were not built to be safe, is again wrong.

By giving in and going back to using the Access Bus full time, I have been forced to absorb the added cost of using it, and endure a severe financial hardship because they do not offer a subsidy or a bus pass. This too is wrong.

Need I remind you that you also asked the city to subsidize low-income passengers who use Kingston Transit because you recognized they can't afford to pay for the $65 bus pass?

Did you ever stop to think that, because the Access Bus charges $2.25 per ride, that the fares for passengers who go out a lot and have to use their service would have their fares go up to almost $200 per month? Why, if you are going to limit my choice of using the conventional service, did you not ask for the subsidy to be applied to all forms of public transit in Kingston? I can't afford to absorb these costs because you have decided to limit my ability to reliably use Kingston Transit.

I have had to give up a lot (cable, food and the ability to participate in social activities) because your discriminatory policies have forced me to pay more than quadruple the amount for the Access Bus than what people on low income pay for Kingston Transit.

In closing, I will again remind you that there is a duty for Kingston Transit to accommodate a person who uses a wheelchair no matter what the bus stop design is, how many strollers are on the bus, or what their health issue is, in regards to the wearing of an optional product by another passenger.

Please fix it NOW. Otherwise, the human rights complaints (3 of them) that I had written up some time ago, but thought I would hold off sending in an effort to be fair to Kingston, will finally be sent. I was hoping that, through education about disability accommodation, that I could spare the City of Kingston the legal costs of having to defend themselves against the charges of violating the human rights act.

Sincerely,

Louise

Please read my other Blogs:
Accessibility: http://wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Health: http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

Priority Seating - Please Help to Stop a Discriminatory Policy

2010-09-12T18:04:00.000-04:00

Please help to prevent a new act of discrimination against people with disabilities on Kingston Transit.

I just created a petition against a new motion by Kingston Transit to stop prioritizing the seating in the front of the bus for seniors and people who have a disability. If you want to read more before signing, please read the complete report from the city and an excerpt from the Provincial Government's proposed new Integrated Accessibility Regulation. Both have been pasted below.

To sign the petition, go to: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/kingston_transit/

Report from the City of Kingston

CITY OF KINGSTON REPORT TO ENVIRONMENT, INFRASTRUCTURE, and KINGSTON TRANSPORTATION POLICIES COMMITTEE

(NOTE: this was converted from PDF format by me, so that those who use screen-readers can read it)

Report No.: EITP-10-031 (source: http://www.cityofkingston.ca/pdf/cityhall/committees/infrastructure/agenda/2010/EIT_A0910-10031.pdf)

TO:Chair of the Environment, Infrastructure, & Transportation Policies Committee
FROM: Denis Leger, Commissioner of Transportation, Properties & Emergency Services
RESOURCE STAFF: Sheila Kidd, Director of Transportation Services
DATE OF MEETING:September 14, 2010
SUBJECT: Kingston Transit - Priority Seating Policy

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The purpose of this report is to recommend a policy for priority seating on Kingston Transit buses,

RECOMMENDATION:
THAT the EITP Committee recommend that Council adopt a Priority Seating Policy for Kingston Transit that designates the front space as priority seating for seniors, people with disabilities, and passengers travelling with children in strollers, on a first come, first serve basis;

THAT the policy establish a maximum size of 30 inches wide x 48 inches long and for wheelchairs, scooters and strollers.

AUTHORIZING SIGNATURES:

ORIGINAL SIGNED BY COMMISSIONER
Denis Leger, Commissioner of Transportation, Properties & Emergency Services

ORIGINAL SIGNED BY CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
Gerard Hunt, Chief Administrative Officer

CONSULTATION WITH THE FOLLOWING COMMISSIONERS:
Cynthia Beach, Sustainability & Growth N/A
Terry Willing, Community Services N/A
Denis Leger, Transportation, Properties & Emergency Services N/A
Jim Keech, President and CEO, Utilities Kingston N/A

OPTIONS/DISCUSSION:

The front seating area on transit buses, directly behind the operator, provides a wide aisle with seats that fold up. This space is usually designated as priority seating for some passengers such as those using wheelchairs or other mobility devices like walkers, people with disabilities, seniors, and passengers travelling with children in strollers.

Given that space is limited and the demand seems to be growing, it is challenging for both passengers and bus operators to determine which passengers receive priority. Historically, Transit authorities establish guidelines for this space by adopting a Stroller Policy, which establishes the rules for passengers travelling with children in strollers. With the introduction of low-floor buses that promotes the use of transit for people with mobility devices, most transit agencies have updated their policies and/or developed priority seating policies that determine how the space is to be used.

Kingston Transit has received numerous complaints from both passengers and operators who have asked that we review the current policy and provide clear direction on the use of this space.

Current Kingston Transit Policy

Prior to the introduction of low-floor buses, the policy at Kingston Transit designated the space as priority seating for seniors and passengers with disabilities. Passengers were permitted to travel with strollers, baby carriages or shopping carts, provided they were collapsed or folded. The policy was updated to recognize that often, public transit is the only transportation option for our passengers that travel with young children.

In 2009, Kingston Transit updated the Stroller Policy to recognize strollers as a form of mobility device used by parents and caregivers travelling with young children. The current policy enables these passengers to use the front seating area and avoid having to fold their stroller, however customers with wheelchairs are given priority and the passenger travelling with a stroller is expected to vacate the space to allow a passenger in a wheelchair to board. For their own convenience, passengers in wheelchairs are encouraged to travel at non-peak time. The current policy is attached as Exhibit A.

The current policy poses a challenge as it only provides priority seating to passengers in wheelchairs. The policy does not provide priority seating to passengers with other disabilities such as vision and hearing impairments or to seniors. In addition, many passengers travel with oversized strollers that either cannot be collapsed or are still too large to stow safely even when collapsed. Furthermore, some passengers use the stroller as a shopping cart so folding it is not an option. This has resulted in disputes between passengers and creates challenges for the bus operator who is expected to intervene.

Policy Options

Staff has reviewed the policies of other transit authorities and has determined that there are generally three approaches:

The front space is designated as priority class seating for seniors, people with disabilities and passengers travelling with children in strollers, on a first come, first serve basis.

Pros
- All priority class passengers are treated equal
- Provides equal status for parents who travel with children and rely on public transit
- Easier to enforce
Cons
- May require seniors or disabled passengers to wait for next bus if priority seating area is already occupied by a stroller passenger
The front space is designated as priority seating for seniors and people with disabilities on a first come, first serve basis. Strollers are expected to be folded or collapsed in order to board.

Pros
- Creates more available space for seniors and passengers with disabilities
Cons
- Restricts passengers travelling with young children in strollers
The front space is designated as priority seating for seniors, people with disabilities and passengers travelling with children in strollers, however people with disabilities and seniors have a higher priority status so passengers travelling with strollers would be asked to vacate the space if a priority passenger wanted to board. This approach requires that only strollers that can be folded or collapsed be permitted on board. It also requires size limitations to be established.

Pros
- Essentially reflects current Kingston Transit policy
- Compromise for passengers travelling with strollers
Cons
- Difficult to enforce
- Often requires operator intervention
- Can create disputes between passengers

Staff is recommending Option 1 be adopted for the following reasons:

it establishes a priority class but does not differentiate between passengers within the class
it is the fairest option for all parties and there is another public transportation option for some of the priority class passengers through Kingston Access Service
it is easier for operators to enforce and operators prefer this option
Option 2 is too restrictive and places an unnecessary burden on our passengers travelling with small children in strollers who may not have another affordable service option

Size Limitations of Mobility Devices and Strollers

Kingston Transit’s fleet includes a variety of bus models, all with slightly different configurations. The use of the space can be optimized by establishing size limitations for all mobility devices that are brought on board.

The City of Hamilton’s policy indicates that their buses can accommodate wheelchairs and scooters up to 30 inches wide x 48 inches long, based on the transit standards for accessibility as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). To our knowledge, a Canadian standard has not been adopted at this time. To establish a maximum size, we can rely on the minimum clear space requirement of 30 inches x 48 inches identified in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, Draft Transportation Standard. This draft standard is reinforced by the fact that our ramps are 30.5 inches wide and the average door opening on the buses is 31 inches wide.

To optimize the limited space available, some transit authorities have established maximum sizes for strollers of 24 inches wide x 48 inches long. The 24-inch width restriction also ensures the stroller could manoeuvre down the aisle if necessary to accommodate more passengers.

Staff is recommending a standard size for both mobility devices and strollers providing the recommendation is approved as presented in this report.

Operator Injuries

To avoid operator injury, all passengers must have the ability to board, manoeuvre and alight independently, safely, effectively and efficiently. Operators are only required to assist with securement for passengers travelling in wheelchairs.

Communications

Communicating the policy is extremely important for passengers and operators. Staff will ensure the policy details are explained by developing clear messaging that can be posted on the buses and the City website as well as other printed materials.

Municipal Accessibility Advisory Committee (MAAC)

Members of the MAAC Transportation Working Group were asked to consider the policy options and provide input regarding the policy options and the impact of implementing size limitations for wheelchairs and scooters. The Committee felt strongly that Option 3 would be preferable, understanding that it would will be more difficult to enforce. The Committee members expressed concern with leaving a person with a disability or a senior behind, particularly in inclement weather, considering these passengers are more susceptible to becoming sick. The Committee indicated Option 2 would be their second choice.

The Committee also indicated they could support a policy that imposed size restrictions for personal mobility devices because manoeuvring a scooter or larger electric chair into the space can be difficult and take extra time. Furthermore, the size of the ramp already limits many electric chairs. The Committee indicated they would support size guidelines for wheelchairs and scooters of 30 inches wide x 48 inches long.

EXISTING POLICY/BY LAW:
Kingston Transit Stroller Policy

NOTICE PROVISIONS: N/A

ACCESSIBILITY CONSIDERATIONS:
The Municipal Accessibility Advisory Committee was consulted on this policy as noted above.

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:
N/A

CONTACTS:
Sheila Kidd, Director of Transportation Services (613) 546-4291, Ext. 2221

OTHER CITY OF KINGSTON STAFF CONSULTED:
Members of Transit Joint Health and Safety Committee

EXHIBITS ATTACHED:
Exhibit A – Kingston Transit Stroller Policy – June 2009

Excerpt from the Proposed Integrated Accessibility Regulation under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005:
(http://www.ontariocanada.com/registry/view.do?postingId=4142&language=en)

Courtesy Seating:

Conventional transportation providers will be required to ensure there is clearly marked courtesy seating for persons with disabilities, as close as practicable to the entrance door.
Signage will be required to indicate that passengers other than persons with disabilities must vacate their seats if its use is required by person with a disability.
Operators will be required to ask passengers who are not using a transportable mobility aid device to vacate wheelchair securement locations, if that securement location is needed by a person using a transportable mobility aid device.

Please read my other Blogs:
Accessibility: http://wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Health: http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

Another Accessibility Nightmare on the TTC

2010-06-20T00:57:00.000-04:00

To start with I ran into problems with the barricades that were erected on Front St., in front of Union Station for the G20. The street was blocked so Wheel-Trans could not pick me up at the usual spot. The last time I was to be picked up at Union Station the driver no-showed me, even though I was sitting right there. I still don't know for sure what happened, but what I do know, was I was not willing to endure another nightmare of the dispatcher and customer service rep literally yelling at me and telling me that Union Station and Via Rail where not one in the same.

I learned the last time that there is supposed to be a designated bus stop for Wheel-Trans and, when there's construction, even if it is minor, Via is supposed to let them know where the stop is being moved to. The day they stood me up, I was told that Via Rail and Union Station are not the same thing, (they could have fooled me), so when they had Front St. closed, I was a little fearful that the bus would not find me. Besides, when I booked the call, they never told me that the street was closed, and they would be picking me up at another location. I was semi-panicked about what problems might develop out of this one.

Fortunately a friend had sent me a media release from Via Rail that warned of the street closures. It said their employees would be accompanying people with disabilities to one of two side doors, to meet their ride. The thing is, the employees didn't know anything about Front St. being closed, until I showed them the printed copy of the media release. I gave it to them, then for posterity purposes, asked them to walk me over to the Bay St. door. I wanted to make sure there were no glitches.

Well, there were, but I had no idea what to say to the employee. No cars were coming south on Bay so that meant that likely Wheel-Trans couldn't come down that side either. To get across the road a wheelchair user had to jump a barricade, or go back inside Via Rail, up an elevator, across a street overpass, and down on the GO Transit side. I had no idea what side Wheel-Trans would be looking for me at, so I decided to phone them. I let the Via employee go on his way.

When I phoned Wheel-Trans, I asked where they would be picking me up. They said Front St. Obviously, they had no idea about the street being closed either. I told them about the Via Rail media release and they said they had not received a notice from them yet. I had to urge them to go on the Via Rail web site to look for it, or ask questions from someone internally so they could come back on the line and tell me where to go. When they came back on the line, they said they would meet me on Bay St. I told them the west side was closed and they said, well then that means we're not to look for you at Via Rail then. You want us to meet you at GO. I gave up. I was not convinced the bus would actually find me at GO, and I was not sure if I would be allowed to go unaccompanied up the elevator to use the pedestrian walkway to get to the GO side. The G20 rules were definitely not clear.

As an aside, I have never seen Union Station look so clean and pristine, before though. It is odd that they're washing and painting the whole thing when the trains won't even be allowed to enter the station.

Back to picking a location for Wheel-Trans to find me at Union Station. I was so frustrated by the communication break-down and the inability to get a clear answer that I decided the easiest thing to do was cancel Wheel-Trans and find my own way to the hotel. At least I knew how to get to the hotel by subway.

The next step was to figure out how to get to the TTC meeting on the CNE grounds. I phoned Wheel-Trans to ask them for advice and they said it would be best to catch a shuttle bus at the Bathurst Subway station; that they would start at 6 pm and would be running every 15 minutes until everyone had got there. That sounded easy. I know the subway routes so I figured we could get over to the Bathurst Station by about 3 pm, explore the area around the station, and then catch the shuttle at 6 pm.

Famous last words.

I got on the northbound subway at Dundas, headed to the Bloor station stop, and got off to transfer. I had no idea the elevator was out of order and had been under repair for several months. I took another elevator upstairs, found a TTC fare collection worker, and them where to find an alternative route. She didn't have a clue. She said she was new.

I decided to take the elevator down to on the south side in hopes of finding another elevator down to the Bloor Street line. No such luck. I went back upstairs. I found another clerk and I asked her for directions. She didn't know the answer either, but at least she made a call to find out.

It turned out the answer was, to get back on the southbound subway, take it down to Union Station and around back up the University line. I was told I could get off at Bloor then. Little did I know, the station was not called Bloor on the University subway side. According the map, there were two choices; St. Georges and Spadina. Both had wheelchair symbols, but Spadina had the words, Bloor only. I interpreted this to mean, it was the only transfer point that would get me onto the Bloor line.

I got out at Spadina and discovered the only way out was up the stairs, or up the escalator. There was no elevator. Now I know there are 2 Spadina subway stations and the one on the Bloor St. line is the one that is accessible. The one on the University line is not.

The only way out was to get back on the northbound train and hope to find a station with a centre platform so I could cross over and head south. I knew the train would eventually go south once it got to the furthest point north, but it would take a long time. No centre platform was forthcoming so, at Eglinton, the last accessible station, I decided to get out. I went to the Help button at the DWA (Designated waiting area) and pushed it. I asked the person who answered if I could get to the southbound tracks without having pay for another fare. He had no idea. I asked him what station the button was alerting him at, and he said he was upstairs.

It appeared to be a waste of time to ask any more questions so I decided to take the elevator upstairs and, if nothing else I could use my cell phone to call for help. Fortunately as soon as I got up there I could see it was easy to get to the south tracks. I just had to go across the hall and take the elevator down. If the guy in the booth had looked out his window he could have seen this, so I knocked on his door to ask questions. I wanted to know why he didn't know the answer. The guy was a summer student and he had not been given any training on routes. You could tell he was frustrated about not knowing how to answer the questions. I knew there had to be a good explanation, so I was easy on him.

The subway trip went smoothly after that. I took the southbound subway from Eglinton and got off at St. Georges. I then transferred onto the Bloor line and caught the subway to Bathurst. By the time we got there we had been on 4 subways and, due to failing equipment, communication breakdown, and my lack of knowledge of the Toronto subway system, it ook us close to 3 hours to do what the trip planner says can normally be done in 17 minutes. When we arrived at the Bathurst Station we had a grand total of 30 minutes to relax, breathe the fresh air, and calm down, before we had to catch the shuttle to the Accessibility on the TTC meeting. Needless to say, the experience had me well primed to talk to them about their serious communication breakdown.

Please read my other Blogs:
Accessibility: http://wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Health: http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

TTC - A Story of Very Bad Customer Service

2010-06-19T20:59:00.000-04:00

A Story of Very Bad Customer Service

Here, is one that will shock you... I hope. It is pretty serious stuff because it is abuse, emotional abuse. The recording will go online soon.

On Thursday night (June 17, 2010) I went to the TTC meeting with all the big wigs, including Adam Giambrone because I had one very strong purpose. It was to stop the verbal abuse that was being enacted on passengers by the customer service rep and their dispatchers. Being from another city, I felt I had nothing to lose if I complain. If they want to cut down my service, or be more nasty to me, let them. I have broad shoulders. I'm more worried about the Toronto passengers who need to depend on their service.

Here is the story:
A Wheel-Trans bus driver no-showed me. I arrived at Union Station 20 minutes early, so I went outside to wait at the appointed stop. I was there for close to hour before I finally got through on the line and was told the driver had no-showed me. The dispatcher said I was obviously in the wrong spot and they would not send me another bus. I couldn't believe it. I can only assume that the bus driver was trying to catch up on his schedule, so he made it look good, and carried on.

Here is the no-show process:

If the driver can't find a passenger, they are to call in to report to the office that they can't find us.

The office is to ask the driver if he has gone to the right place. If he says yes, the office will ask how long he has been there. If he says more than 5 minutes, the is then driver is given permission to post the no-show sticker, and move on. If I say I can't find the no-show sticker, I will be told I must be looking in the wrong spot, because the driver has posted one.

After asking a lot of questions, I have learned that there is no GPS system or any other kind of tracking system to prove that the driver is being truthful. It appears the dispatch office automatically trusts the drivers, and we the passenger, are doubted unless we can prove otherwise.

Anyway, it was apparent that I couldn't physically prove that I was in the right spot, even though I had a witness, so it was word-against-word and I swallowed my pride and asked them to send me another bus.

Well, the dispatcher spent a full 10 minutes trying to discipline me on the art of being responsible, before I could convince her to send me the bus. I don't have a recording of the call, but I have an escort who witnessed my end of the conversation.

Later the same day, I was stood up for a second time. The return bus did not show up in a part of Toronto that is served by non-accessible streetcars. I could not emotionally handle another abusive call to Wheel-Trans, so I called their IVR system, put in my PIN number, and discovered my time and type of vehicle had been changed. A bus, not a taxi, was to pick me up 20 minutes sooner than I had expected. All I could do was assume I had missed the bus, even though I had just been sitting inside the door and was in plain view. I was in no mood to take more abuse from another person at Wheel-Trans, so I looked for the no-show sticker (that I now know will prove I missed a bus), couldn't find one, and moved on. By the time I left, I had been waiting outside for 40 minutes, I was locked outside of the building, and I was in no mood to talk to another person who might belittle me for being irresponsible. My only remaining option was to find the subway or an accessible bus, and move on. I had no idea where I was, so I had to asked several strangers for directions, before I could figure out how to find the station, but I did it. I had to motor something like 5 blocks to the subway, got a little turned around on the system, but found my way, and was safe.

The next day I called long distance to customer service to, not only complain, but to find out where I should wait the next time I need to get a Wheel-Trans bus from Via Rail. I wanted to do what I could to avoid another nightmare experience. What I didn't expect was to get it even worse. The good news is, I recorded the call so there is proof of the verbal abuse. A CD of the recorded call has now been handed to Adam Giambrone... for his listening pleasure.

As for the customer service line, I called back several times, and I kept getting the same abusive woman. According to her, I was supposed to wait at a Wheel-Trans designated sign on Front St., and there isn't one. I now have a video of the entire block to prove it, just in case they decide to stick up a post and call me a liar. I hear it has happened before, so this time I'll be a step ahead of them. The official location to wait for Wheel-Trans at Via Rail, according to a very nice customer service rep, is outside the main doors of Union Station by the Via Rail sign and clock.

The abusive one says there are several clocks so I was probably waiting at the wrong clock. I'm not sure where the designated Wheel-Trans bus stop sign fits in, if the clock is also the right spot to wait, but I guess she thinks she's the expert.

It might not hurt for the employees to visit Union Station to make sure the post exists, before they insist I'm a liar. If I'm on location, talking on a cell phone, and I tell the customer service rep I'm wheeling around trying to find it, and I can't, then surely to goodness they would have had enough training, to know that it is not appropriate to doubt the customer who is so clearly asking for directions to find the right stop so they know where to find it the next time.

The whole time I was on the phone, I was repeatedly giving them the benefit of the doubt by asking more questions; sometimes I was calm, cool, and collected, sometimes with humour. I never once was rude to them, although after 25 minutes of abuse, you could hear in my voice that I was breaking down and coming close to hysterical tears.

By the time this customer service rep was done with me, I was at fault (not really) for the mistaken entry in her computer saying I live in Peterborough, not Kingston, I am to buy a cell phone (I was talking on one), I am foolish for phoning long-distance to complain (I waited a day to cool off before I called back because I refuse to yell back at them), I am to learn the art of patience (she'd been stuck in the traffic on the Don Valley for hours because of a fatality), I am to learn to accept that I am wrong and that the driver is right, and that I'm blind because I couldn't find the no-show sticker on the door of the Via Rail station. Oh yeah, I'm strange because I keep calling back to pursue what is right.

This statement came when I called back to learn the results of the investigation. I had been told to call back 10 days later by the very nice customer service rep, so that is what I was doing. It's just unfortunate that I, once again, got the same abusive woman. The answer I got from this rude rep was, you have launched this complaint twice, that is very unusual. The driver said he was there and you weren't, so that is the end of it. She then hung up on me. I dialed straight into her supervisor and left a message, including a request that they search their recorded phone calls for the one she was just rude with me again on, and let me know why she has still not been checked out.

Nothing came of the message. I called the supervisor back 10 more times and finally he asked someone to call me. I was again told the driver was right and I was wrong. As for pulling the recorded calls, they're not going to do it. They have too many and they don't have enough time to check them.

I thanked her and hung up. On Thursday, I called Dean (the supervisor) directly. I offered to give him a CD with the recorded calls; the ones I was asking him to check. That took him back a little. He paused, looked at his notes (more like stalled for time) then said, oh yeah. I listened to those calls. They weren't rude.

He then turned the table back on me. He said what do you expect from our call-centre employees. I said courtesy, respect, perhaps an investigation to check the facts before you automatically blame me, etc. He said our reps are good. We don't have time to make them perfect.

I said okay, here's another solution: Introduce Doris, the rude customer rep, to Annette, the polite one. Let Annette teach Doris how to be polite by example. He was not impressed. I said fine, I'll send the CD to every media outlet I can find. This scared him and he's now made a second promise to pull, and listen to, the recorded calls. I'm not going to bother following up with him again though. I'll go for the big fish, Adam Giambrone.

The way I got to Dean, the supervisor was, when the good customer service representative listened to me politely and offered to launch a complaint, I was so impressed that I asked for her supervisor. I wanted to give her the appropriate accolades. She thanked me and agreed to transfer the call. The supervisor was nice in accepting the positive feedback, but then he was defensive about the other rep, the one I had reported was rude enough to hang up on me.

Rather than listening to the call to substantiate what I said before he decided how to act, he made the mistake of trying to resolve the problem by reading her notes, and then trying to blame me.

He said it was unusual for someone to take over 25 minutes to report a complaint, or something to that effect. Translation: no one will take the belittling from a customer service rep, and try different tactics to get clarification to be sure they knew where the stop was, for the next time.

Eventually, after a long time arguing with him, he found enough evidence to realize that perhaps I was right after all. He even gave me his direct phone number. I was happy until I did what the one rep told me to do to find out the results of the investigation. I called back .... 10 times, and left messages. Finally another rep called me and told me the driver was right, I was wrong, it is over. In answer to the question about pulling the calls so they could fix the customer service abuse, there was nothing. She couldn't help me, so she told me to call the supervisor. I called him and he said it is over. The abusive one is a seasoned rep and they will not fire her.

He then said to me, what is a good example of customer service? I said the other good rep. I was talking to her at (and I gave him the time). He said he didn't have time to listen to the calls. I said, okay, I will share their content with the media. I recorded every one of them. He back-pedalled a little and said he would check it out. I'm waiting.

Please read my other Blogs:
Accessibility: http://wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Health: http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

Ejected From a Bus for a Reaction to Scent?

2010-04-23T02:44:00.000-04:00

Today I was on Kingston Transit heading to a doctor's appointment and a passenger, who was wearing too much scent, got on. I kindly asked her to sit further back in the bus because I react to perfume and I can't move from the tie-down section. She did. I appreciate her consideration, and I want to thank her for moving back without expecting me to justify myself.

Unfortunately the scent was still too strong so it triggered an asthma attack. Before I knew it, I had trouble breathing. I got dizzy, started to get a little light-headed, and eventually became less able to reason. I started to panic.

The bus driver was alerted to my dilemma and asked if I was okay and I said yes. I thought I could endure. I also didn’t want to get off the bus to wait for another one, because I knew I would be late, or possibly miss, my doctor’s appointment.

Well, before long, the lack of oxygen got the better of me and without thinking, I undid the tie-down strap, turned around, and moved toward the bus driver so I could breathe. I didn't think about the fact that, by moving and no longer being secured, I would be in contravention of the law. The driver stopped the bus and told me I had to get off; that I would have to wait for the next one. I didn't even have a chance to change my mind, to open more windows, go back to the tie-down section, and try to endure. I told him I didn't know where I was, but still, I had to get off. I was wheezing badly, was dizzy, foggy headed, and because I was so shocked by his reaction, went into a full-fledged panic attack; something that has not happened for years.

After the bus left, I didn't have a clue what to do so I sat there and took deep breaths to try to recover myself. It eventually worked, so I then called the Access Bus to ask if they would send a bus and rescue me.

Thankfully, the dispatcher recognized I was in distress, so she radioed for a bus and asked them to get me. She then said she would stay on the phone with me until the driver arrived. She wanted to make sure I was okay because I was still struggling a bit with my breathing. She even asked another dispatcher to call my doctor’s office and tell them I would be late so I would not have to miss my doctor’s appointment altogether. I am so grateful and I cannot thank her enough.

If I had my way, I would take the Access Bus all the time, but I can't afford it on the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP). Last year I paid $1,645.50 for buses (a combination of the Access Bus and Kingston Transit). To contrast the prices, it would cost $780 to buy 12 full-priced bus passes on Kingston Transit for a year's worth of unlimited rides.

For this reason, I find it ironic that the City of Kingston would introduce a Municipal Transit Subsidy to people who live below the poverty line to take Kingston Transit, but not for people who need to take the Access Bus. If you agree this doesn't make sense, please call your city councilor and ask that they:

Apply the municipal transit subsidy to the Access Bus as well as Kingston Transit,
Adopt an enforceable scent free policy for all buses so that the one with the breathing difficulty does not have to get off.

Thank you.

Please read my other Blogs:
Accessibility: http://wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Health: http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

Accessible Via Rail

2010-01-30T12:12:00.000-05:00

I'm a regular on the train. I started using Via Rail when I moved to Kingston in 1983 because there was no viable bus service between Kingston and Cobourg (or my former destination of Peterborough). There were buses, but it took 3 hours to get from Kingston to Cobourg vs 1 hr & 20 mins by train. The bus service has come and gone over the years so, the only realistic form of travel, is the train.

In 1995, when I started to use a wheelchair, it was the start of a whole bunch of new, exciting, and at times, eye opening, experiences on Via, but foor the most part, the service is great. The station masters are fantastic and, if you become a regular, you get to know some of the good personnel who work on the train. There are some regulars that I have a grand old time joking with, during the trip. They know my likes, and dislikes, and they love to see my educational "best practises" photo gallery for disability accommodation that has been compiled on my computer. They'll come and ask me to show them more pictures.

However, it can be really annoying when some of the non-regulars are downright rude, don't know how to do up the tie-down straps, fail to come by often enough to set me free when I need to go to the washroom, talk in a foreign language, about me and in front of me, when they are doing up the tie-down straps or trying to decide it they should serve me a meal, but thankfully these issues are the exception, rather than the rule.

Okay, now for the funny stories. One day I was on the train and suggested to the conductor that it would be nice to have an alert bell so I can get their attention if I gotta go.

His reply was, if we do that for you, we'd have to do that for everyone.

I said, huh?

He said, yeah, so they can ring for their beer. You want to be equal, don't you?

I said okay, if you want to talk equal, we'll talk equal. Please tie everyone to the seat of the train so they will have to ask your permission to be set free to go to the washroom.

He never spoke to me after that.

Here's another funny story.

One day they linked the train up wrong so it meant they had to load me in through the baggage car. The station master at Cobourg explained the situation and offered to load me through the baggage car or call another city to charter an accessible taxi. Cobourg didn't have their accessible cabs yet. Well, the idea of taking a cab to Kingston seemed ridiculous (to me) so I said load me into the baggage car. To me, it was a new, and exciting experience.

Well, I sat comfy and cozy in the Via Rail car to Kingston and never thought about what the reaction would be from the public when they were taking me out. The chins started to wave and the fingers started to point... and good old Louise was making some silly ass comment about being a bad girl... And then I realized, oh wow. I'm not out to make Via look bad. So, in an even louder voice, I thanked the guy who was cranking me out for the wonderful first class service. I then loudly said the experience of seeing the baggage car was way better than a boring old taxi ride to Kingston.

When the train left and the buzz died down, the station master thanked me profusely. It was the start of a good working, and friendly, relationship with the good employees of Via.

About two years ago, I saw one of those buttons I was recommending, but I haven't seen any since. Apparently the ones I saw were in the experimental stage, but I understand, after talking to a person who works at Via Customer Service, that a similar accommodation change is about to take place.

Please read my other Blogs:
Accessibility: http://wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Health: http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

Ontario's New Double-Decker Buses - Some Tidbits

2009-12-01T11:03:00.000-05:00

I learned some of the new double-decker buses won't fit under some of the bridges on the 400. Can you believe it?

After doing a bit of research, I discovered that the maximum vehicle height is identified as being 4.15 m under a Provincial Regulation, and the buses, according to another article, are 4.3 m tall.

There aren't many details put together in one spot, but if you saw the info that used to be posted on these links you will see first, you would have seen some useful stats and a link to a funny video that gave a hint to the problem. It was of a double-decker bus hitting a low bridge. Sadly the links are gone, but I still have the stats. Read on.

Double decker bus quick facts

The double decker buses are manufactured by Alexander Dennis Limited, a UK-based company. There are no North American manufacturers of double decker buses.

The buses’ dimensions are:
- Length: 43 feet (13 metres)
- Width: 8.3 feet (2.5 metres)
- Height: 14 feet (4.3 metres).... HMMM - do we have a problem?
The standard 45-foot (13.7-metre) highway commuter bus seats 57 passengers; the double decker bus can carry 78 passengers – an increase of 21 riders or 37 per cent.

On the link that has now been taken down, it said:

To prepare for the introduction of double decker buses, [transit company] worked with the Ministry of Transportation, all road and fire departments from the regional and local governments along the proposed routes, representatives from 407 ETR, and the Ontario Provincial Police.

Selected routes for the double deckers have been thoroughly studied to ensure height clearance.

Some more interesting tidbits, including these stats about the new GO buses, can be found at: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=599540)

On a link that has since been taken down, there was a quote saying, "The people at [transit company] has to handle these buses with great care. I don’t want a situation to happen, as does this video shows: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_0YMKcQ4kE" The video is of a double-decker in Britain hitting a low bridge and the link is still active.

If you read on further (before the news announcement was taken down from www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2008/03/20/mcguinty-infrastructure.html), you would have seen there was a new spending announcement that was made by the Provincial Liberals on March 20, 2008. The first two paragraphs tells all:

Ontario will spend another $1 billion this year to help municipalities repair and build roads and bridges as well as improve public transit and affordable housing, Premier Dalton McGuinty announced Thursday.

The money is on top of the $300 million earmarked for municipal infrastructure in the government's fall economic statement and another $150 million announced last month by McGuinty in a speech to municipal officials.

It makes you wonder if this spending announcement was because the transit provider had did all their homework and, despite this, found out that there were provincial numbers that didn't add up?

Apparently a few bridges need to be raised, or the roads need to be lowered, so I can't help but wonder if the Liberals felt they had to invest to cover up for their goof. I found this little tidbit about the buses not fitting under some bridges at http://www.gpmag.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67

If you read the last paragraph, it says:

There are limitations to the routes the new buses can travel because they are too tall to fit through many city underpasses.

You can also read some interesting news about the new double-decker GO buses at: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=599540.

I strongly recommend that you take a look.

To read about the unveiling of the new buses, where it says the buses can't fit under a few underpasses, read: http://www.gpmag.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67)

Be sure to read my other Blogs:
Accessibility: http://wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Health: http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

AODA Transportation Standards Will Compromise on Safety!

2009-09-07T23:41:00.000-04:00

Warning - These New Standards Will Not Be Safe!

The provincial government has too many pieces of legislation and, after reading through a lot of it, I have been left to wonder if they are investing enough resources into making sure they are properly cross-referenced for conflicts or loop-holes which would prevent them from fulfilling their original mandate.

This is because, as a person with a disability, there are times when my needs simply do not get met. The excuses given are wide and varied but, if you ask enough questions, you will find that behind the excuse lies a valid piece of legislation. I know this because, out of sheer frustration and being at a poverty level that does not enable me to retain the services of a lawyer, I have been doing some self-help by reading through, and trying to sort out, the meaning and jurisdictional priorities of, the many layers of legislation.

There doesn't appear to be an exhaustive list that names all the legislation that is applicable within each ministry. It is listed, but it is not well grouped. There are also conflicts that appear to have been created by adding another layer to resolve an issue that was not working out.

As a person who sat on the accessibility for transit standards writing committee and, who by nature, is very inquisitive, I asked questions, tons of questions. However, the one answer I was never able to get was, what applicable legislation and regulations we were referring to when we wrote the following paragraph into the standard.

“Persons and organizations may be required to meet more than one accessibility standard under the AODA. Therefore, the following standard should be read in conjunction with other AODA standards and other applicable legislation and regulations to enable persons and organizations to determine and understand the full extent of requirements they will be mandated to comply with.”

The obvious ones were found and were able to be brought to our attention, but since the group was disbanded, I have found a few more. The reason for wanting to know this answer was so, when we were writing the new standard, we did not inadvertently duplicate, negate, or contradict, something that was already written into the law.

Now that the standards writing process is over, I have taken the time to look at the barriers, not only for me, but for those with another type of disability as well. I am left with a heavy feeling of disappointment because I realize that many issues will not be addressed.

No Provincial Requirement to Provide Public Transit
Further, this was to be a provincial law that was to improve access to public transportation for people in all municipalities around the province. It won't do that. This is because we were told up front that there was no provincial requirement for a community to provide public transportation. However, if they choose to provide regular transit, they were to also provide specialized transit. This logic did not work in reverse. If a community was providing specialized transit, but not regular transit, then those who were not deemed eligible for specialized transit, had no transportation other than to take a taxi. Taxi's can be cost prohibitive for the disabled who, statistically have been proven to have a far higher rate of unemployment or, underemployment, than those in the rest of the province.

Application of Tie-Down Straps Will Become Optional - Major safety concern
Other examples of things not being properly addressed in the new standard, is the decision to make it optional for the tie-down straps to be used on a wheelchair. No consideration was given to the fact that the seats of all vehicles must be safety tested to make sure they can withstand the impact of a crash before the vehicle is allowed to be on the road. Why is the same logic not applied to a wheelchair? What will happen to an unsecured power wheelchair that weighs over 200 pounds empty, in there was an accident? Does this decision not increase the safety risk for, not only the passenger who uses the wheelchair, but for the other passengers as well, if the weight of the wheelchair and the passenger was thrown around in the event of an accident?

It is my understanding that regulation 629 can only be applied to the vehicle, not to the policies and decisions that are made to govern the use of the vehicle. So, if a person doesn't know of the risk, is it logical or ethical to allow personal choice to prevail and therefore increase their level of risk? Taking this logic one step further, why not scrap Regulation 629 and make it optional for a transit provider to even install them? After all, they are concerned about cost saving measures.

Obviously this last statement was a complete waste of time because of course, safety considerations should be the ones to prevail.

What concerns me is the fact that many people with disabilities might not even think of the safety factor. I know I didn't.

To illustate, what was the number one concern for wheelchair passengers, and their positioning on a train? They were tied-down in the crumple zone.

It took me years to even imagine that this would be the case because it never dawned on me that a public transit provider would overlook this important decision when trying to figure out how best to accommodate a person who has a disability. If the outcry had never happened, or if I was not an advocate, had not taken up a personal interest in doing more research on the accessibility of transit, I probably still would be none the wiser.

Likewise, it would never have occurred to me about the importance of the safety testing that has been done on the seats of all the vehicles that are licensed to be on the road.

Bus Ramps Too Steep - another safety concern - see images below
As for the ramp on a bus, it was designed to extend to a curb, not to a curb cut. Well, when we were writing the standard and this issue was raised, we were told that the issue was to be addressed by the built environment committee. It wasn’t. This means there is an increased risk of another very dangerous decision being inadvertently made by the transportation providers.

Case in point, Kingston just finished laying the pavement for several new bus stops. The problem is a curb cut has been built in at the place where the ramp is to come out. Therefore the person using a wheelchair will have to wait on the grass in the summer and probably forego the use of the bus stop in winter. When a ramp is extended out on a curb cut, the ramp is far too steep. It far it exceeds the acceptable grade stipulated in the building code as being or the American's for Disabilities Act, an act we used as a guide. Our committee's understanding was the standards writing committee for built environment would address these issues instead.

From what I can make out, they were not able to come to a decision on this matter so it will not be addressed at this time. This will mean that the mistakes of laying new pavement at bus stops with a curb cut, instead of a curb, will result in the inadvertent building of more unsafe bus stop locations, such as the 3 I saw laid as recently as August 2009 in Kingston. Many of the brand new cement pads for a bus shelter have the curb cut right at the spot where the ramp is supposed to come out. The person in a wheelchair will have to go on the grass a few feet away, to safely board the bus. Come winter, we will not be able to get on at these stops. How much will this cost the city to replace later on? But can you blame them? They have nothing to use as a reliable reference and they're not necessarily exposed to the intricacies of accommodating these sorts of things.

Needless to say, I have grave concerns about some of the decisions that were made on this, and many other things in Ontario. Some important checks and balances appear to be overlooked, or at great risk of being overlooked. Worse, there are so many standards, and so many numbers out there that it is hard to determine which is the best one to use as a guide.

New bus stop being built on Centennial Dr at Atkinson in Kingston, ON.
Date of picture July 2009

Steep ramp due to lack of curb to put it on.

The result when boarding a bus without the ramp being extended onto a curb... It is too steep!

Please read my other blogs:
Accessibility: http://www.wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Health: http://www.wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

Access Bus Strike Over! ...FINALLY!!

2009-06-17T21:16:00.000-04:00

The announcement was made on Sunday. The buses will be serviced and back on the road by next Sunday. For the news article in the Kingston Whig Standard, please visit: http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1612816.

For closure, the city council still let me speak to the motion last night even though the strike was over because they knew I had done all the prep work. If you are interested, you can hear an audio clip of the presentation by viewing the slide show below. I was nervous but I believe I did well.

I'm glad the strike and the headache is almost over. The Access Bus will be back on Sunday.

Be sure to read my other blogs:

Accessibility - http://wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Health - http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

Motion To Kingston City Council to Restore Access Bus

2009-06-11T23:17:00.000-04:00

I have good news to report. This Tuesday, June 16, 2009, there will be a motion before the Kingston City Council in support of restoring the Kingston Access Bus.

This is a huge milestone because Kingston is not in a postion to tell the management or union what to do. The Kingston Access Bus is a non-profit charitable organization and Labour Code has laws which govern the amount of outside interference that can take place during a labour dispute. Therefore, the best the city can do is encourage both sides to find a resolve.

After the motion is presented, I will be given an 5 minute opportunity to speak to the motion and the impact the strike has had on the disabled passengers who must rely on the services of specialized transit. My thinking cap is now on.

Be sure to visit my other blogs:
Accessibility: http://wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Health: http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

Petition to Province Declaring Transit Essential

2009-06-11T23:08:00.000-04:00

The momentum is growing to sign the petition I created to send to the province.

It states:

TO The Legislative Assembly of Ontario: -

WHEREAS Kingston Access Bus has been on strike since April 16, 2009 leaving 3,600 registered passengers of specialized transit without service, we the undersigned, are asking for your assistance to:

Restore the services of Kingston Access Bus, and
Declare specialized transit, in fact, all public transit, as an essential service.

This would be in keeping with the AODA (The Accessibility for Ontarian’s With Disabilities Act) because it would guarantee that never again, would people with disabilities be forced to stay home for days and weeks on end because of strike action.

WE the undersigned petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows: -

To:

Restore the services of Kingston Access Bus, and
Declare specialized transit and all public transit an essential service.

Unfortunately the provincial rules for petitions specifically state that people must sign a hard copy so I can't offer it online. But if you live in Kingston and are interested, please sign one at Loblaws at the Kingston Centre, the nursing homes, or if you spot me on the bus, ask me. It will be circulated to more places over time.

I am easily to spot because I carry the following sign on the back of my chair. I use a dry erase marker to update the day #. Today is Day 57:

Please be sure to visit my other blogs:
Accessibility - http://wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Health - http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

A Letter to Driver

2009-06-07T15:50:00.000-04:00

This letter was written as a reply to a driver who wrote after seeing a letter to the editor in the Kingston This Week. See: Access bus drivers in ‘one heck of a stalemate’: http://www.kingstonthisweek.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1598254 (I am withholding the name because the letter would be more appropriately addressed to all drivers).

I was glad to have an opportunity to dialogue and to answer some of the questions.

The letter in the Kingston This Week never said you weren't going to make any wage demands. I always knew you would. And, if you read it closely, you will see I very strongly used to support this fact.

The thing is, when you lose that much money with the school board contract, I can't see how it can continue to make sense. All I've got is the news to rely on. I have CKWS saying the wage demand was higher than what is customary practise for wage demands. Most non-unionized jobs give a 1% - 3% hike with promises of more in future, especially in a recession. I have no idea what was asked because that was never revealed. I can only assume by the reaction on the news that it is much higher than that. To ask for this after you just lost the school board contract is ludicrous. I would love to get more current numbers but I don't have them. However, when I wrote that letter, I was not putting a lot of stock in the numbers because I knew they were old.

What I know is the school board funds have always been the service's bread and butter. Why, I'll never know... likely because we have a hard headed city that is not interested in funding much service to the disabled. Their attitude is pretty bad. I also know the gas tax revenue from the province had strings on it so this meant the majority of it had to go to Kingston Transit, not to the Access Bus where it was vital that it be spent.

The school runs used to be deadly for us getting trips but in the last 2 years it has been better... not perfect, but better. This is because another one or two full time positions were added. It also helped that they added another evening run (although I know there were times when they didn't run it and should have). It was far from perfect, but it was a lot better than it was a few years ago.

As for the walking away from the table and not setting a new date - who do I believe? The news coverage of both sides said the other was not willing to go back to the table and the Access Bus web site (What's New) says a new date was set, but the union turned it down because management refused to accept your FINAL OFFER. What am I to believe? Believe me, I don't put a lot of stock in the media.

Instead, I have been digging up facts because of what you have said on the news. You said the city can stop the strike right now. Did you ever read the labour law and the rules for collective bargaining and the limits on outside interference? The truth is, the province is the only one who can do anything? They can deem the service essential and force you back to work or they can send in mediators and hope the two sides come to some sort of agreement. Most of the time, there will not be outside interference, so please don't deceive yourselves or the public into believing they will meddle. Also, if they deem you essential, the cost of providing the service will go up... And do you REALLY think our non-supportive mayor (for access) will push for something that will up the cost of providing the service? Listen to my blog and the sound clip from Tuesday's city council meeting if you don't believe me.

Now, to the final comment. What am I to say about a lunch room? Guess what? I say fair working conditions and safety is vital. But why not jump in your car and drive over to Division and Dalton to sit in a warm Tim Horton's, a Swiss Chalet, shop in the stores, go downtown and visit the library... who knows? I don't know of very many jobs where a lunch room is provided. However, I understand the reason for asking and I'm neither here nor there really. If you weren't on strike and leaving 3,600 passengers without medical treatment and the basic essentials of life, I would even bring up it up at the next AGM with the support of as passengers as I can get.

However, as I have said to anyone who asks, the drivers have a choice of comfort when they go home by driving somewhere on their breaks, etc. The passengers have NO CHOICE.

If you really care about the passengers, you would be coming back to work and asking your many passengers who support you drivers to lobby and push hard for better comfort and working conditions on the job.

Please STOP HURTING THE PASSENGERS.

Oh yeah, and by the way, other than a lot of painful, and very long rides on the city bus - and having to get off a lot of the time because of an allergy to perfume, I am NOT one of the ones who have missed very much. I live on the right bus route, I have a power chair, and I'm one heck of a determined individual; one who will NEVER give up.

Now, the ball is back in your court. Think of your personal comfort and your choice at the end of the day, then think about how you would feel if you could rarely, if ever get out for days and days on end ... today is DAY 50!!!! It is far too long.

Be sure to view my other blogs:
Accessibility: http://wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Access to Health Care: http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

An Attempt to Get the City's Backing to Declare Access Bus Essential

2009-06-07T07:55:00.000-04:00

The following is a motion I hoped to get on the agenda of Kingston City Council. I had one councillor support it and help draft the motion, but try as he might, he could not get it added to the agenda because he could not find a councillor to second it.

Whereas transit is an essential service for people with disabilities who often have a condition which prevent them from driving a car, or who are economically unable to afford a car, or able to use mobility devices which prevent them from relying on friends or family members to give them a drive.

Whereas people with disabilities are often unable to use a normal city bus due to the size of their mobility device, their degree of disability, or their proximity to a bus stop and whereas Kingston does not have any accessible taxi cabs.

Whereas transportation is vital for getting to medical appointments, work, volunteer work, school, shopping, social and recreational outings and whereas citizens with disabilities have a right to equal access to all that society has to offer.

Whereas in the recent past there have been two very costly and untimely transit strikes; one in the City of Ottawa that cost that city and it’s citizens’ millions, and now currently the one in the City of Kingston, that is affecting those hardest to cope with a lack of transit alternatives.

Therefore be it resolved that the City of Kingston encourage the province declare the services of Kingston Access Bus specifically, and all access buses in general as an essential service, so as to bring an the current collective bargaining stalemate and avoid future ones.

Be it further resolved that given the dependence on transit in general that the province of Ontario consider declaring all public transit an essential service, and that this resolution be sent to AMO, The Premier of Ontario as well as the official Leaders of the Opposition, and all municipalities over 100,000 people for consideration and support.

I would prefer to take out the population limit but I left it because it was a combined effort and I trusted there was likely a good reason behind it.

Be sure to view my other blogs:
Accessibility: http://wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Access to Health Care: http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

Musing on Specialized Transit Strikes

2009-06-06T22:28:00.000-04:00

Kingston is on day 52 of the Access Bus strike and the majority of their 3,600 registered passengers are literally stranded in their homes.

I find it shocking that in last Tuesday's city council meeting the mayor made it abundantly clear that the city could do nothing to resolve this. They cannot get involved in a labour dispute.

This means that, other than the city having a partially accessible city bus service, people with disabilities have no way to get out of their homes for anything. They can't get out for medical appointments or to any of the other things that most people are able to take for granted. The accessible taxi's in Kingston were taken off the road in 2004 when the vehicles got too old, and they were never replaced.

In trying to find a resolve I remembered that Ottawa had a Para Transpo strike many years ago so I decided to do some searching to see how they coped. I was hoping to find tips which woud help us to get our service restored.

What I found was that Ottawa passengers at least had a few more options than the passengers in Kingston. Para Transpo was still able to provide service to those who needed to get to medical appointments, all medical appointments, not just to dialysis and they had accessible taxi's, 40% of their city buses accessible, and a much more supportive network of volunteers and non-profits to help those who had a disability. Kingston has very little of this.

With only one or two non-unionized managers at Access Bus with a valid class B license to legally drive the bus, the service has had to restrict themselves to only providing service for dialysis passengers. Management tried to negotiate an agreement, when the strike first went out, where one or two drivers would continue to drive so service could still be provided to those who were in need of transportation to medical appointments but the drivers and the CAW refused.

What makes it even more frustrating is the CAW, the union who is representing the bus drivers, have taken out radio ads to apologize to the passengers for the strike and then ask them to lobby their city councillor to get the buses back on the road. The thing is, this is wrong information. Under the Ontario Labour Law, the only level of government who can apply pressure to restore service is the province. This leaves the disabled citizens of Kingston in one heck of a spot. There is no end in sight because the two sides have stopped talking.

The disabled citizens of Kingston are being held hostage in their homes while the drivers take strike action to increase their personal level of comfort on the job. I wonder how they would feel if they had a disability and had no way to get out of their home for days and weeks on end? I doubt they would accept it because it is for lack of a lunch room that this whole thing got started in the first place.

To read more about the Ottawa Para Transpo strike, please read:

Resolution too late for Para Transpo users
(Source: http://www.carleton.ca/ctown/archiv/97to04/nov0703/news1.htm)

and

Important information for Para Transpo customers
(Source: http://ottawastart.com/arc9-2003.shtml)

Be sure to view my other blogs:
Accessibility: http://wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Access to Health Care:http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

Kingston's City Council Cannot Stop Strike

2009-06-04T21:43:00.000-04:00

The following audio clip shows how difficult it will be to get the city's support to get the Access Bus back on the road.

Therefore I have sent the following letter to the Toronto Star and Globe & Mail:

I am writing to inform the province of a serious problem in Kingston.

The drivers of Kingston Access Bus walked out on strike on April 16, 2009 leaving the majority of their 3,600 registered passengers literally stranded in their homes. What makes it even more frustrating is that because of a provincial law that governs the collective bargaining process, there is nothing the city has been able to do about it. Worse, Kingston does not have any accessible taxi's and, because many people with disabilities are unemployed, they not own an accessible vehicle that can accommodate their powered mobility device. Kingston Transit, the only other service that is remotely possible to use, only serves part of the city and it cannot accommodate everyone.

With Kingston now entering day 50 of the strike, the situation is getting serious. Many people have missed vital medical appointments, cannot do their banking, cannot buy their groceries and other basic essentials, cannot get to work, school, volunteer jobs, social outings or recreational activities. They cannot get out to enjoy anything that everyone else gets to enjoy.

Please, I ask everyone province wide, to write their MPP in support of declaring specialized transit, in fact all transit, an essential service so that all Ontarians can have an equal opportunity to enjoy a slice of this life.

Be sure to read my other Blogs:
Accessibility: http://wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Health: http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

Musing about Access Bus Being an Essential Service

2009-05-28T20:19:00.000-04:00

Another letter to the editor was published in yesterday's issue of The Kingston This Week. It was written by a woman who has had to miss medical appointments because of the Access Bus strike. She asks for the buses to get back on the road so she can resume her appointments with the cancer specialist. To read it, please follow this link: http://www.kingstonthisweek.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1587959

While it is encouraging to see that more people are writing, I have to ask, why are people with disabilities having to write such personal, and often, touching, letters to get the support of Kingstonians to resolve the strike and get the Access Bus back on the road?.

I don't understand how, in a province that aims for full accessiblity by 2025 with the AODA (Accessibiltiy for Ontarian's With Disabilities Act), that this strike has been allowed to drag on. Why are we, the passengers, being told that there is nothing the city or province can do? Kingston Access Bus is a non-profit charitable organization, but the city gives them 95% of their funding. Surely money can be made to talk. Isn't that what democracy is all about?

Could it be that there is just no political will to provide an essential service to people who have a disabiltity? Could it be that Kingston is going to be one of those city's that will have to be forced to accommodate the the disabled when the enforceable part of the law comes into place? I hope not.

Each day I have been able to get up and go to work on the city bus despite losing the service of the Access bus, but I'm one of the lucky ones because I live on an accessible city bus route and my power wheelchair is able to fit into the bus. What about those who don't live on a bus route or who bought a 3 or 4 wheeled scooter that CAN'T fit in the bus? What about those who use manual wheelchairs, walkers, or who just plain can't walk far enough to use the city bus? Don't they have a right to a quality of life too?

Many days, when I'm on the bus I see passengers who use the Access Bus and who tell to me how many appointments they have to miss or how much of a hardship it is in other respects.

This makes me all the more determined to find a way to end this strike. I don't know what will work but I know that civil disobedience parading a bunch of wheelchairs down Princess St will not.

What I am hoping to do is present a motion to council asking for their support to take the province when I ask that the service be declared an essential one. This Monday I will be in Toronto bending the ear of whoever I can find on the accessibility directorate to tell them how unacceptable this is. I will then get a petition or a motion up to the province asking for their support to geth this vital service back on the road.

Please, if you're reading this blog, and agree with the essential nature of the service, write your MPP and ask for it.

We need all the support we can get. Thank you.

Be sure to read my other Blogs:
Accessibility: http://wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Health: http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

Access Bus Strike - Comments on Today's news article.

2009-05-27T23:54:00.000-04:00

Today (May 27, 2009) there was an article in the Whig Standard entitled, "No New Talks Scheduled" and it's about the Access Bus strike. After reading it, I tried to add my two cents worth and, would you believe, the Whig closed me out? Here is the message:

Your account has been banned. If you believe this to be in error please contact your local newspaper to have it removed.

I know it is a computer that has picked on a key word and has got me kicked out, but when I called the Whig to get my permissions reinstated, no one knew what to do or who to send me to. I spent over 30 minutes on the phone bouncing around from extension to extension until I finally got linked up with someone in Sarnia. Sarnia? This is the Kingston Whig Standard, not a Sarnia Whig Standard... Sheesh.

Anyway, since no one knows how to reinstate me and I can't get away with using an alias, I will have to add my opinion through my blog.

To start with, please read the news article at this link: (http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1585105) . Then read my comments below.

If you have any comments or opinions, please write me and let me know.

Here are the comments that got me closed out:

The school board did the same thing with the Stock drivers ... or is your memory too short? To quote one paragraph in the Whig, "Just two days after [the school board] announced it was moving to give the company’s bus runs to other firms for the remainder of the school year... the Teamsters union figured it out. (see: http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1529167.)" IT WAS EITHER figure it, out or have no job to go back to when the school board pulled the contract with Stock and gave it to someone else.

The difference is, Stock had competetion, the Access Bus did not. A crystal ball could not have predicted that the school board would pull the contract before they had an alternative. The Tri-Board pulled the contract then sought a replacement.

Oh, and by the way, the union representing Stock scrambled back to work accepting a 7.5% wage increase spread out over 3 years. This is far less than the 82.5%, and later, 29% raises originally being sough. Obviously the risk of losing their job had the biggest impact on bringing an end to the strike. Too bad this luxury didn't exist for the Access Bus.

To read more about Stock's outragous demand, read: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2009/07/c8084.html. To read more about the negative impacts of union representation, specifically representation by the CAW, please read this article: http://www.labourwatch.com/forms/caw_kills_jobs.pdf

So I ask, please GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT before you go declaring management is incompetent.

Be sure to read my other Blogs:
Accessibility: http://wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Health: http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

From the Horses Mouth about Access Bus Strike

2009-05-26T20:09:00.000-04:00

May 21 2009 - Bargaining between Kingston Access Bus and the Canadian Auto Workers Local 1837, representing striking Kingston Access Bus drivers, resumed yesterday with the assistance of a Ministry of Labour mediator. In the early afternoon the CAW presented the employer with a final position, on settling their bargaining and bring an end to the strike action. The Union's proposal was rejected as it contained, among other items, increases in compensation with monetary demands that go well beyond the patterns of settlement in either the public or private sectors. These demands include a wage and pension increase, signing bonus, and increases to employee benefits. These kinds of increases are clearly unacceptable in these tough economic times. KAS had hoped that discussions could continue on May 21 but was advised that the union is not available. The CAW was also asked to reconsider its final position. Source: Kingston Access Bus - What's New

Be sure to view my other blogs:
Accessibility: http://wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Health Care: http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

An Open Letter to the Access Bus drivers

2009-05-26T07:54:00.000-04:00

I have been watching the coverage of this strike with increasing dismay. To start with the driver's said they wanted a lunchroom, a better definition of an employee, and an improvement of the grievance procedure. But what surprised me is that no monetary demands were expressed. While I agree that the other issues are important and needed to be addressed, I had a hard time understanding that you chose to take strike action which would take away the rights of the passengers to take part in the day-to-day activities of life.

Sadly this strike action has resulted in a major loss to the service that will never be recovered when you go back to work. This is because the school board contract was lost resulting in a big enough funding cutback that it can only mean a severe cut back to the service.

The drivers would like to have us think that losing the school contract is a good thing; that it will mean more buses for the rest of us. But did you ever stop to think about how you are going to get paid? I don't have any recent financial statements, but I know at one point the school board was providing 13% of the annual funding for Access Bus. This was a huge amount to lose when you consider that the number of students who used the service represented only 1.25% of the overall number of registered passengers.

Now that the contract is gone, you sounded surprised when management said that some of the drivers would be losing their jobs. Then, when talks resumed last Wednesday and you expressed your monetary demands, you once again walked from the table when management rejected your request. Now I hear that your chief negotiator from the CAW, Mike Armstrong, will not be available to resume talks for another 2 weeks. I cannot believe it!! How do you expect to keep the respect and support of the passengers when your quest for personal comfort has resulted in so much loss to your passengers?

For years I have agreed that the bus driver wages should be brought more in line with the wages of a city bus driver, but now that the school board contract is gone, I can only ask, “what are you thinking?”

On the the news Geof said the city can do something; that they can end this whole thing right now. Check your facts. The Access Bus is a non-profit charitable organization. The only way the city can end this is to pull the contract and give it to Kingston Transit, which is a service the city does have some control over. This will not be easy considering it would mean transferring a whole fleet of buses to Kingston Transit and then sorting out seniority of bus drivers to determine who gets to keep their job and who will lose it.

It's time you face the reality that you are in one heck of a stalemate. Please check your facts and then figure out how to get the buses back on the road. I know people who are missing cancer treatments, and other vital medical services, because of this strike.

Be sure to view my other blogs:
Accessibility: http://wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Health Care: http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

Community Bus for Kingston?

2009-05-24T22:47:00.000-04:00

I have an idea for providing accessible transportation to those who are affected by the Access Bus Strike.

I would like to ask the city of Kingston to look into the feasibility of adding a new bus service; a service known as a Community Bus? This service is provided in many communities and it has been proven to be very successful for seniors and those who have a disability. Kingston has something like this now with the A & P bus. The difference is, the A & P bus is privately run and it is not accessible.

What the Community Bus is, is a fixed route accessible bus service. It uses a vehicle much like the access bus and it travels along a fixed route to buildings where disabled and seniors live, and takes them to the shopping district or the area where the medical offices are located. People need not book ahead to take it. They need only know that if they're at their front door at the scheduled time, they can catch the Community Bus to go to these locations.

If Kingston could look into adopting this service by giving the contract to Kingston Transit, it would help restore service to those who are affected by the Access Bus strike. It will also get around the problems that are associated with the City of Kingston taking over the delivery of specialized transit from a non-profit charitable organization.

When the strike is over, it may also prove to be a financially feasible method of delivering service now that the Access Bus has lost so much of its funding from the school board contract. It is a service that could be retained after the strike is over to deliver service to people who don't drive or who don't normally qualify for the services of Kingston Access Bus. It would also be especially useful in winter. People may have to get used to structuring their day around the schedule of the community bus but it will still deliver door-to-door service so people who have difficulties using conventional transit can still get out.

I tried to bring this service on once before by volunteering my time to develop a survey, a letter, and a stats gathering tool, but the idea fell through when I realized I was in over my head because I was trying to take the project on by myself.

It is vital to get an accessible bus service back on the road soon so I will do whatever I can to help my fellow comrades who are literally stranded in their homes and who are being forced to miss medical appointments and a slice of this life. Many people I know are getting severely depressed so I am really worried about them.

All citizens of Kingston can help by phoning or writing a letter of support to the city council. It is vital that steps be taken to stop this travesty NOW.

Be sure to view my other blogs:
Accessibility: http://wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Health Care: http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

Letter to Editor about Access Bus Strike

2009-05-20T23:36:00.000-04:00

Today's Whig had yet another letter asking for an end of the Access Bus strike. Halleluja.

It is important that we keep the letters coming and that more than one person write in.

I wear the following sign on the back of my chair...

... and it is shocking how many people say they had no idea the strike was still on. They see the Dialysis bus on the road and they assume the strike is over. Therefore it is vital that we keep on writing these letters.

Writing letters to the Whig, the City of Kingston, the Kingston This Week, and the Access Bus office will also help. Thank you Marion for writing the letter.

Here is the link to today's letter: http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1574540

Be sure to read my other Blogs:
Accessibility: http://wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Health: http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

Access Bus is a lifeline for disabled Kingstonians

2009-05-18T22:15:00.000-04:00

This letter was published in the Kingston Whig Standard on Saturday but I almost missed it because of the way it was displayed on the web site. I didn't realize the heading for bottled water was hiding a letter about the Access Bus strike.

Therefore I am going to copy and paste it here to make it stand out while making it clear that FULL CREDIT is to go to the Kingston Whig Standard and the person who wrote the Letter to the Editor, Sarah Lovell. The link to the source article is: http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1571201

Here is the letter:

Access Bus is a lifeline for disabled Kingstonians
I am dismayed that thousands of Kingston's disabled residents are without transportation as the Access Bus strike extends into its second month. Reliance on the Kingston Access Bus is not a choice for many members of the city's disabled population who are unable to use the city's bus service or taxis due to either accessibility or financial constraints.

In 2007, while living in Kingston, I was involved in research the Council on Aging and the Weller community group carried out with Access Bus users to discuss their experiences with the service. Focus groups with users found that, overwhelmingly, participants used the bus for the everyday necessities of life such as grocery shopping and attending doctors' appointments and meetings. Participants' quality of life was very much contingent on the availability of the bus.

The Access Bus users were universally grateful for the service. However, funding constraints mean the Access Bus does not afford users the same opportunities to participate in society as their able-bodied counterparts. The limited availability of buses and demand for bookings were found to make spontaneous journeys unlikely. Few available buses in the evenings made attending social activities so complicated participants usually didn't bother, and participants endured long waits (often in the cold) for callbacks on buses after attending medical appointments.

The Kingston Access Bus, city council and the workers must remember that the Access Bus is the only lifeline to their community many Kingston residents have and need to reach a resolution to the strike as quickly as possible. Once the strike has been resolved, the city must recognize that there is more to life than attending medical appointments, and look to improve a service that is severely constraining the opportunities for disabled Kingstonians to participate in their own community.

Sarah Lovell
Dunedin, New Zealand

Be sure to view my other blogs:
Accessibility: http://wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Health Care: http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

Kingston Access Bus Strike

2009-05-10T00:07:00.000-04:00

Kingston Access Bus went on strike April 16, 2009 over working condtions. They haven't asked for money... yet. Instead, they're listing the following as their grievances:

The definition of an "employee": Management does not recognize part-time employees as regular employees, therefore they get excluded from benefits and certain rights, which regular employees receive, even though most of them work full-time hours.
Management refuses to post all rules and regulations, both past and present. How can one follow the rules if you are unsure of what they are? How can you be sure that the rule you are supposedly breaking, has been in existence and is not something which has just been made up for that incident?
Access to the lunchroom for the evening drivers. The lunchroom is locked after 5pm so the evening drivers - some of which are female - are expected to eat their lunches alone in the bus if they don't have enough time to spend their break at home. With the City Anti-idling by-law they also cannot run the buses for heat in the winter or air conditioning in the summer.

This means 3,600 registered passengers are basically stranded in their homes.

They are not able to get to work, school, medical appointments, out to buy groceries and other essentials, or simply to get out for a day. Further, Kingston does not have accessible taxi's.

A few of the city bus routes are accessible, but many can't use them for a variety of reasons. Some don't live near an accessible bus route, some have scooters that are too big to fit in the bus, and still others have health issues that make it impossible to ride a conventional city bus. For these people, there is no alternative but to stay home.

What gets to me is that the drivers aren't asking about money. They're asking to increase their level of comfort on the job. While I don't deny that this is important and I agree the drivers have a right to fair and equitable treatment, I find it hard to accept that by their strike action, they are forcing people with disabilities to go without the basic essentials of life or the very level of comfort that is being sought by the drivers.

The difference between the plight of the drivers and that of their passengers is that, at the end of the day, the drivers can go home to a different level of comfort than they have on the job. The passengers, who have to rely on their service, have no choice but to endure the hardship that is caused by the strike. I just don't get it. There has to be a better way.

To read the news coverage of this strike, please see the links below:

If you're interested in reading about strike, check out these news links:

Access Bus Strike: April 16, 2009 - The Kingston Whig Standard:
http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1526822&#postbox

Acesss Bus Strike: April 16, 2009 - CKWS TV
http://www.ckwstv.com/index.cfm?page=news&id=521

Access Denied - Whig - April 17, 2009:
http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1527722

Access Bus Strike continues - Whig - April 18, 2009
http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1528787

Access Bus Strike: April 20, 2009 - CKWS
http://www.ckwstv.com/index.cfm?page=news&id=532

Access Bus Strike: April 27, 2009 - CKWS
http://www.ckwstv.com/index.cfm?page=news&id=567

Access Bus Essential For Some - Whig - April 28, 2009
http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1541082

Disabled Endure Hardship - Whig - April 29, 2009
http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1544478

Access Bus strands children - Whig - April 30, 2009:
http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1544507

Losing key contract - CKWS May 4:
http://www.ckwstv.com/index.cfm?page=news&id=603

Key Client Lost - Whig - May 5, 2009:
http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1552983

Employee's Want Fairness - Whig - May 6, 2009:
http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1554903

Give Access Bus drivers full-time status they deserve - Whig - May 6, 2009: http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1554878

Access denied; Strike continues at Access Bus - Kingston This Week - May 7, 2009
http://www.kingstonthisweek.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1557677

Be sure to view my other blogs:
Accessibility: http://wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Health Care: http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

Passengers Join Bus Driver Strike Rally

2009-05-09T22:15:00.000-04:00

Sunday, May 2, 2009

We had our rally in front of City Hall at 2 pm then the Labour Federation and the bus drivers left. Catherine, an advocate from Ottawa, and two of us wheelchair users remained sitting in front of City Hall at the cross walk to chat. Well, the next thing you know, a cop showed up. He said someone called into complain. When I asked how long ago the call was called in, it turned out it likely came in when the Union and the bus drivers were there. We were walking back and forth across the road slowly to slow down and delay traffic.

Well, this part was good. It meant we were seen.... even if it did mean being reported to the cops. The cop told us not to worry then left.

Well, a minute later, one of the wheelchair users looked down and discovered he had a flat tire. The policeman was parked just down the hill on the wharf behind the Holiday Inn so I went down and asked for his help. Normally I would call Access Bus or years ago, the Access Taxi, but obviously this was not an option at this time. The policeman called the office to ask for an air compressor but, when no one showed up, I offered the use of my tire pump. A guy on a motorcycle did the honours of pumping up the flat tire. When it was full, he took off for home (about 1 km away). He made it as far as Food Basics (half way) and the tire was done. He was down the rim and couldn’t move. He was sitting on the road in front of Food Basics. The tire was punctured by a staple from a sign being carried by one of the striking bus drivers. Is that an irony or what?

At Food Basics, the policeman borrowed my pump and tried to pump up the tire again, but it wouldn't work. The other person, who uses a wheelchair and was with us, managed to borrow a compressor from someone at the K-Rock Centre, but still it was of no use. It got the tire inflated enough for him to get across the road, but then he was back on the rim.

The policeman wasn't sure what else he could do so I phoned Motion Specialties, his medical supplier. After 2 calls we connected and they said they would came to the rescue. When the policeman knew help was on the way he left and my friend and I were left protecting our stranded comrade who was stuck partially blocking the driveway of Food Basics. We sat there holding our signs in an attempt to continue raising awareness. Approximately 2 hours after we first discovered the flat Motion Specialties arrived to fix the flat tire. The repair will cost ODSP double because it was an emergency repair, but there was no other choice. Without the Access Bus there was no way for him to get home to wait for the repair to be done during normal business hours.

The good news is we got lots of looks from the public. Especially when, for a good half hour, the policeman had his car parked with the lights flashing to protect the wheelchair stranded on the side of the road.

We made a strong point of showing our signs, my friend took lots of pictures, and we asked anyone who would listen to call their city councillor to lend their support. We also called every media outlet we could find a phone number for, but no one called us back.

I used one of our placards to introduce this blog.

Well, all's well that ends well. The flat was fixed and Kingstonians got a real life example of Access Bus is a vital service to get restored as quickly as possible.

Be sure to view my other blogs:
Accessibility: http://wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Health Care: http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

Transportation Barriers Prevent Choir Inclusion

2009-03-05T14:07:00.001-05:00

I am in a choir and on Jan 25th we had an evening concert. The problem is I use a power wheelchair and I could not get a reasonable time for the Access Bus to get home. I had 2 choices - to either interupt the concert so choir members could move risers and let me off the stage to catch the only bus booking available or miss the bus and pray I could find another way home. Kingston does not have accessible taxi's so there is no such thing as an alternative unless a private citizen can help.

Well, thankfully three choir members made a decision to help. One borrowed their neighbours van, another borrowed some metal wheelchair ramps from a local medical supplier and a third came along with an offered to help in whatever way he could. I thought all was good until the following email came from a Board member of the choir. I removed the name because I would rather stay somewhat annonymous. My reply and subsequent email exchanges are pasted below that.

Just before I share the emails, I want to tell you that I accepted the ride in the accessible van to home, then the original (less bureaucratic) choir members picked me up at my home to take me to the choir "after-party." I had to use my manual wheelchair which is falling apart and is very uncomfortable, but for a few hours of inclusion the pain and risk was well worth it. I had a wonderful time thanks to the few REAL humans that still live on this planet.

I have to admit, I was shocked to be told that the kind gestures of 3 very caring individuals was not allowed to be used because of a fear of liability.

Whatever happened caring about HUMANS?

Here is the correspondence:

Hi [wheelchairdemon],

This is to confirm that the best the Board is able to do to get you home after the concert is the very generous offer that choir member [choir member] and his neighbours have made to you. This is to give you a ride directly home after the concert in the neighbour’s van which is equipped to handle you and your chair with ease and safety. The van will be driven by the neighbour and [choir member] will accompany you too. If you wish to take advantage of this very kind offer please phone [choir member who found the van].

I realize that this offer does not include an opportunity for you to go to the Portsmouth House after the concert. We cannot ask the neighbour to do any more than this, she has responsibilities for her husband who is also in a chair. I am sure you can understand this. Transporting you without this equipped van, meaning manually moving you and your chair, is not safe and therefore not something the Board should be doing.

If you need to communicate further with a Board member on this please get in touch with me directly.

Sincerely,

[(bureaurcratic, not human) Board member]

Hi [(bureaurcratic, not human) Board member],

To be honest with you, I don't know what to say. I was not expecting anyone to risk getting hurt. I had a line on some ramps and there was NO expectation whatsoever for someone to be taking a dangerous risk. How this ever got turned around is beyond me.

[Another Board member] wrote me and asked what the choir can do to help. He then added, "We want to help you have the best experience possible on Saturday including the 'after party', but at this point I'm a bit confused as to your needs for Saturday."

I took this as being very positive and I was truly thankful and appreciative that he asked. I then wrote back and gave him the best answer I could at the time. His welcoming letter of inquiry made me believe I was not being unreasonable to ask for assistance.

For the last several weeks I have also been making my own inquiries to assist by offering suggestions in hopes that, between us, we could find a safe way for me to get home. The suggestions that were made included asking for a volunteer with a pick up truck or van with the seat taken out to make room for my wheelchair and some portable ramps, that someone walk with me to a city bus stop on Union St. at 10:45 pm so I could catch a bus home, or who follow me home with their car so I could motor home safely on the road. I have motored home from concerts many a time before with a car following me, usually my Dad, in order to play it safe and not take the risk of anyone getting hurt. When I was asked about lifting my chair, I said I would not recommend it unless there were 4 strong men who could volunteer because it was heavy. I even tried to discourage it.

The tone of this letter FEELS, rightly or wrongly, like I am expected to feel grateful for someone going out of his or her way to accommodate me. Believe me, I am grateful for the offer, but I don't see how answering [other Board member] kind request to include me at both the concert and the party could have been taken so wrong. This letter makes me feel so small and as though I am the one who is being unreasonable and a real inconvenience by asking for inclusion (which, by the way, is a right under the human rights law).

I will close by saying that if the choir can afford to pay for childcare (which I know is currently not used), assist with planning a carpool ride, and state in its goal that it aims to be fully inclusive of diversity and will assist with removing the barriers to full choir participation, then I would say the choir is not fulfilling this goal. Full choir participation would include mixing with the audience after the concert and taking part in the party of celebration.

By the way, the other thing that would have worked to include me would be to meet in a bar downtown. It probably isn’t too realistic to change it now, but it may be something useful to consider in future.

Please don’t close me out. I have been in this choir since day one and devoted hours of time attempting to be a valuable contributing member doing the web and making Finale files so as to include those who do not own a piano or have a musical mentor who can help them practice between rehearsals. This was my way of helping the choir fulfill its goal of full inclusion and to augment another choir vision of providing practice CD's to help. It was my way of ensuring that all were included. There is a core group of choir members who use these files on a regular basis probably about 8, so when a board member suggested I stop making the files, I did so reluctantly. Sure enough, before long I had private requests for CD's and the files. They were put back online shortly thereafter. So if I can do this for the rest of the choir, I expect the choir to give me the same kind of respect and consideration in return. I sincerely hope that by writing this letter, it will not bring about a disrespect of me for asking for inclusion. If I did not use a wheelchair, there is no doubt that I would be quickly and easily included in everything. The playing field would be leveled by removing the barrier of a wheelchair.

Please read this to the rest of the board because I want them to think.

Hi [wheelchairdemon],

I am sorry that you seem so disappointed and upset about what we have been able to offer you to get you home from the concert. My best suggestion, which appears to be unacceptable to you, is the one that has come from [choir member who found the van] and his generous neighbours. I acknowledge that this does not get you the Ports after the concert and this is the part of this plan that is not OK with you. I know that other Board Members have also rattled their brains unsuccessfully, trying figure how to safely meet your wishes for the evening.

I spoke to a few of the other Board Members, but not all, about [choir member who found the van's] offer. Those who I spoke with were pleased and relieved that we now had a way to get you to attend the whole concert and then home easily and safely. I have forwarded your most recent email to the rest of the Board and I will forward this one to them also to keep them in the loop.

Your words at choir last night followed by the email require thoughtful response from the Board, but not now, we all need to focus on the concert. The Board will review accessibility in general and with regard to you in particular at future meetings.

If you end up deciding that your best option is to, at least, be able to attend the concert in full by making the call to [choir member who found the van], I hope you will do that and join us in the fun.

Sincerely,

[(bureaurcratic, not human) Board member]

Be sure to view my other blogs:

General Accessibility:
http://wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Access to Health Care:
http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

Reply from CNIB Limits Ability to Access Transit Maps

2008-10-13T19:41:00.001-04:00

When serving on an Accessibility Advisory Committee, I asked the following questions related to Transit:

1. Why are the maps in the bus shelter mounted so high and,
2. How is the route information printed on the bus maps conveyed to people who have low vision or are blind?

The answer to the first question about lowering the maps was that they would be too hard to see by the majority; the people who are standing. They said that there have been no complaints. Apparently I am the only one who reported the problem.

I find this funny because I once took a video clip of an able-bodied person standing on the bench so they could see the map through their bifocals. I had permission to take the video but I'm not willing to embarrass the city.

The second question was more or less a loaded question because after consulting with people I knew who were blind or had low vision and were in need of accommodation, I came up with an idea. I would read the bus maps into an audio file and type it into a textual file. I would then give it to transit so they could upload it for free to their web site. This would provide equal accommodation to all who went to the web site to read the map.

Well, my offer was turned down because the CNIB did not identify it was a problem. Transit then added that the CNIB offers travel training, so the travel training is considered adequate enough.

To date, transit does not have their audible announcement system installed even though there was a press release issued June 17, 2008 that promised all would be in place by the end of September. See the following link: http://www.kingstonelectors.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=2311

FYI the CNIB is only open one day a week due to budgetary cutbacks, so I highly doubt there is enough time to provide the necessary travel training.

Please be sure to view my other blogs:

Accessibility: http://wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com
Accessible Health Care: http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com

Quality Customer Service From Public Transit

2008-10-13T19:40:00.000-04:00

This is a good news story to acknowledge the acts of kindness from 3 bus drivers who went the extra mile to rescue me out of the rain yesterday.

I was heading to the bus stop to catch the bus downtown when I saw the bus go by the stop a few minutes early. I was frustrated because it was raining, but I knew I still had enough time to make my connection, so I started to race downtown in my power wheelchair to the transfer point. Unbeknownst to me, the driver of the bus going in the opposite direction saw I had just missed the bus, so he radioed the driver to let her know. She drove around the block and came back to collect me.

You can imagine my surprise when the bus, that I had just missed, pulled up behind me! I was so grateful (and shocked) that she was able to come back and rescue me out of the rain.

There was a third driver to thank as well. He was driving a very late bus on the route home so I missed my connection downtown. Because it was evening and transit was now into the hourly service, the driver decided that, rather than leave me downtown to wait in the rain for 45 minutes to catch the next bus, he would keep me on the bus, complete his route, then take me home.

Am I lucky or what!

Please be sure to view my other blogs:

Accessibility: http://wheelchairdemon.blogspot.com

Accessible Health Care:
http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com