The federal government is co-hosting a summit aimed to improve accessibility on air travel and remove barriers faced by passengers with disabilities.
Transport Canada and Employment and Social Development Canada is holding the country’s first National Air Accessibility Summit in Ottawa this morning. Federal ministers say members representing Canada’s air sector and the disability community will meet to discuss three topics.
“Canadians with disabilities have the same rights as all of us. They deserve equal access to air travel and a dignified experience. Our commitment to work with our partners in the air sector to guarantee that our national transportation system is accessible to all Canadians is a top priority. We must continue working together to ensure a more accessible and inclusive Canada,” Minister of Transport Pablo Rodriguez said in a written statement.
The summit will cover issues currently facing passengers with disabilities, identifying potential solutions and action plans to address the ongoing issues and lastly, reporting on progress made since the Accessible Canada Act in 2019, and the Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations in 2022 have been in effect.
Back in Oct. 2023, Air Canada failed to load the wheelchair of Canada’s Chief Accessibility Officer (CAO) Stephanie Cadieux during her flight from Toronto to Vancouver. She described the experience as “immensely frustrating and dehumanizing” in a statement on LinkedIn.
In response, the airline apologized for the incident saying it is deeply sorry for the mishap and have expedited her chair to reach her. It also said it launched an investigation into the incident.
The government is working towards a goal of ensuring transportation is accessible and barrier-free by 2040.
