Setting the Agenda 2010

6 Responses to “Accessibility”

1. Sarah Sullivan-Rainbolt Says:
   November 20, 2009 at 11:09 am | Reply

   I have been a patron of the TTC since my early years and as someone without need of accessibility options that I unfortunately need now so I speak as someone who sees the TTC from both sides.

   I am quite concerned by the overall attitude of those working at the TTC. Anywhere I’ve worked if I acted with the sort of attitudes I see for the most part within the TTC I would be fired! I don’t understand why these employees are treated any different.

   Also I run into a few great drivers and many who don’t seem to care at all about my safety on a bus. I have had wonderful drivers who make sure I get on and off properly and I have had others who don’t want to do a thing to make sure I get on including denying that they can even lower their manual ramps! Moving the vehicle before I’m in my bay or disabled slot. Not using the on first off last rule I’ve been taught by the good drivers. The safety of others is important & by using that rule others safety is best kept. I will ask a driver to make sure people behind me don’t crowd on so I am not hampered in maneuvering into my spot and they don’t listen and so people can be hurt…

   I live in York Region but I take TTC every week! With the fare hike if I don’t have to go past Finch I will whenever possible take YRT or VIVA – I don’t get the same problems on their systems as I do on TTC. Drivers there are much more friendly and seem to want to do what they are meant to much more cooperatively!

2. Andria Says:
   November 20, 2009 at 11:16 am | Reply

   Thank you for creating this section. I would like to add ‘inclusion’ to this discussion as well. People with intellectual disabilities may not have a physical disability but are traditionally excluded from mainstream opportunities. Why is it that even in Toronto, a city that likes to label itsef ‘world class’, do we continue to segregate and congregate people who have a disability? I think we need to set higher expectations and people will strive to meet them, we need to encourage employers to recognize the value of diversity in the workplace, we need to advocate for people to be able to attend their local schools and classes with their brothers and sisters, and we need to challenge our own conception of disability.

   Accessibility is EXTREMEMLY important but it is part of a larger discussion. What’s good for some is typically good for all. We create citizenship by taking responsibility for ensuring people are meaningfully included in our communities.

   The City of Toronto currently has a disability issues committee and celebrates International Day for People with Disabilities on Dec 3. If not already done, I would love to see the city using a lens of inclusion when they are working on disability issues. Realizing it is not just a disability issue but a human rights and citizenship issue will be a valuable step for the new Toronto to take!

   Thanks!

3. Ken Wood Says:
   November 22, 2009 at 7:02 pm | Reply

   Just to tag on to this, those who have mental health problems are visibly discriminated against by TTC drivers, police and other city service representatives.

   Just as regards the TTC, take a trip on the Queen streetcar through Parkdale or on the Ossington bus past CAMH (999 Queen). Not all, but some drivers are outright nasty to those who exhibit difficult behaviours or are dressed in dishevelled clothes. (Poverty is a consequence of poor mental health).

   Police are still not educated or sensitive enough to ‘EDP”s the term they use to lump all the ‘cazies’ together as Emitionally Disturbed Persons. There are the beginnings of an intelligent response in the very few critical response teams of nurses+police, but for a city the size of Toronto, we need many more such teams.

   Many people who go on ‘welfare’, start with OW = Ontario Works and may have mental health issues and are in the waiting mode for ODSP=Ontario Disability Support Program. Yet visit any welfare office and you will often see outright rude and discriminatory behaviour towards marginalized people.

4. Bryan Says:
   November 23, 2009 at 3:39 am | Reply

   A few days ago I was helping an elderly woman walk up the stairs at the Summerhill subway station. There is only one way to/from the tracks for the paying transit user – a long staircase. I then thought not only of the elderly, but to those with other physical constraints as well – and was saddened to realize that going in to 2010, still not all of the TTC’s subway stations are wheelchair accessible. I don’t want to rip on the TTC too much for this, as they have been working on improving the overall accessibility of the system – but an every increasing number of people will benefit the sooner they finish the job.

5. Kathy Le Says:
   November 23, 2009 at 9:47 am | Reply

   Thank you all for taking time to address these issues. I totally agree with your thoughts. I experence these treatment since becoming disability- mentally and physically. Eventhough many drivers are good but some bad attitute workers make the whole no-good reputation! I hope they mention about these issue when it comes to training especially our city will host PANAM in very near future.

6. M. Moore Says:
   November 26, 2009 at 6:51 pm | Reply

   I am now barred from using the entrance to my station due to the token freeze (!). I rented this apartment so that I would have easy access to the subway 1/2 a block away.

   When I called to lodge a complaint, both through the TTC’s line and the Commissioner’s office, the only solution was to either walk the extra blocks, or stand in the cold and wait for the bus. Or I can buy a metro pass, even though I don’t use the subway enough to make that pay. 4 round trips a week on average, as much due to money as due to my own limitations. Seriously, ya’ll don’t get it.

   So it’s about to be December and I am now more limited by this freeze.

   When the fair hikes go up in January, I will be further limited to where I can go, as doctor’s appointments must come first. So much for the company of friends.

   This all lead me to thinking why is it that the disabled do not get a reduced rates such as students and seniors — given that we are much less likely to drive, and, oh tend to live below the poverty line? Why are seniors forced to buy tickets, even though a token entrance might be closer? Can tokens not be sold to seniors and the disabled at a lower rate? Can we not figure out the math for that

   The Accessibility for Ontarian with Disabilities Act starts to come into effect as of Jan 2010 — since the TTC is a public service, I’m pretty sure they will not meet even the customer service standards in the next 4 weeks.

   I would appreciate your giving these facts some serious thought.