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Empower U: Learn to Access Your Disability Rights Training on Canadian Human Rights, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and its Optional Protocol (OP) training aims to increase awareness of how to address discrimination using more familiar Canadian human rights laws such as Human Rights Codes and the newer international Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). This is training for persons with disabilities by persons with disabilities. The training is part of a project funded by Employment and Social Development Canada and implemented by the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) in collaboration with Canadian Multicultural Disability Centre Inc. (CMDCI), Citizens With Disabilities – Ontario (CWDO), Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities (MLPD) and National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS). Read more.
Transportation Archives
Transportation
January 6, 2005
Letter to Hon. Jean Lapierre, Minister of Transport
January 1, 2005
Mckay-Panos Factum
Air
October 4, 2024
International Air Transport Association v. Canada (Transportation Agency)
Today, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) upheld the Air Passenger Protection Regulation (the Regulation) introduced by the federal government a few years ago. The Regulation provides a standardized system of compensation for passengers who experience disruptions to their air travel plans. CCD along with the National Pensioners Association and the Public Interest Advocacy Centre intervened in this case. As a coalition we argued that the Regulation was needed and of benefit to air passengers, especially those who already experience transportation barriers and disadvantage. Read more.
October 4, 2024
WIN FOR INTERNATIONAL AIR TRAVELLERS
The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) has ruled international passengers flying to and from Canada have the right to access compensation under Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations. Read more.
November 13, 2023
I was parked luggage: Accessibility advocates speak out about demeaning air travel
Comments by Heather Walkus, CCD Chairperson, about transportation barriers. Read more.
January 31, 2013
CCD Comments on Regulatory Proposal to Amend the Air Transportation Regulations (SOR/88-58)
Within this document there are both proposals that we support and are pleased to see moving forward and there are proposals that raise significant concerns for us. Read more.
March 4, 2010
Dealing with the t-word
December 4, 2008
CCD Wins Removal of Longstanding Barrier to Mobility and Travel
On November 20, 2008, CCD won the removal of another long-standing barrier to mobility and travel—air carriers' practice of charging additional fares to people with disabilities whose disabilities necessitated the use of an extra seat in-flight. Read more.
Rail
December 14, 2018
VIA RAIL SELECTS SIEMENS CANADA TO REPLACE ITS QUÉBEC-WINDSOR CORRIDOR FLEET
VIA Rail Canada is moving forward in our plan to acquire a new fleet for the Quebec City – Windsor corridor. This acquisition represents a $989 million investment towards safe, modern, accessible, and comfortable trains to ensure our customers love the way they travel. Read more.
January 10, 2008
Reaction to Landmark Canadian Transportation Agency Decision: Disabled Canadians Jubilant to Have Transport Barrier Removed
March 23, 2007
Canadians With Disabilities Celebrate Supreme Court Decision
February 9, 2006
VIA Rail Supreme Court Appeal
Bus
July 10, 2018
Reducing Greyhound Transportation Services Could Have Domino Effect
“The Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) was dismayed to learn that Greyhound has announced plans to shut down its operations in parts of Canada, because this withdrawal of service will put in jeopardy the range of safe, independent choices available to the travelling public, including people with disabilities,” states Bob Brown, Co-Chairperson CCD Transportation Committee. Read more.
Minister of Transport/CTA
October 12, 2023
Travelling to the North to Gather Information towards Developing CTA Accessibility Regulations for Small Carriers and Terminals Not Covered by the Accessible Transportation for People with Disabilities Regulation (ATPDR)
A conversation that, April D’Aubin, Janet Hunt, Janson Nashtootaway, Richard Belzile, and Heather Walkus had about travelling on some of Canada’s smaller federally regulated transportation providers. Read more.
March 15, 2018
Bill C-49 Empowers Goliath and Takes Away David's Sling Shot
Bill C-49, the Transportation Modernization Act, will make some aspects of Canada’s federally regulated transportation system more inaccessible than it already is for people with disabilities. Travelers with disabilities routinely encounter accessibility barriers, such as damaged or delayed mobility equipment, kiosks without audio output to make them accessible to blind travelers. If passed without amendment, Bill C-49 while adding new barriers, will also make it harder for organizations like the Council of Canadians with Disabilities, a national organization that has been working for more than 40 years in support on an accessible and inclusive transportation system, to take complaints in the public interest to the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA). “We are dismayed that Bill C-49 is introducing new barriers at a time when the current Federal Government is about to introduce accessibility legislation designed to make Canada more accessible and inclusive,” states Bob Brown, Chairperson of the CCD Transportation Committee. On March 20, 2018, CCD will be appearing before the Senate Committee on transportation calling for the removal of these new barriers to mobility of persons with disabilities in the federally regulated transportation. Read more.
March 14, 2018
Transportation Modernization Act (Bill C-49)
CCD has made submissions respecting the Transportation Modernization Act (Bill C-49) to the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications. On March 20, 2018, Bob Brown, Chairperson, CCD Transportation Committee, and Terrance Green, Co-Chair, CCD Transportation Committee, will be appearing before the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications.
Read more.
January 19, 2018
Delta Airlines Inc. v Gábor Lukács
In the matter of Delta Airlines Inc. v Gábor Lukács, the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) has decided that it is unreasonable for the Canadian Transportation Agency (the “Agency”) to apply a narrow criteria for determining which complaints can be heard. Specifically, the SCC held that such a narrow approach unreasonably prevents public interest groups such as the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (the “CCD”) from bringing complaints forward.
The SCC agreed with the CCD that “to refuse a complaint based solely on the identity of the group bringing it prevents the Agency from hearing potentially highly relevant complaints, and hinders its ability to fulfill the statutory scheme's objective.” The SCC found that the Agency's decision to deny Dr. Lukács' complaint based solely on his identity was unreasonable as it “did not maintain a flexible approach”.
Consistent with the CCD submission, the majority SCC decision held that a more appropriate criteria may be to consider whether the complaint raises a serious issue to be tried.
Of particular note is the Court's recognition that the Agency's decision was flawed as it did not allow those with most at stake to be heard.
November 13, 2017
Presentation to Senate Committee on Transport and Communications (Special study connected and automated vehicles)
For people with disabilities, there are both advantages and disadvantages to automated cars and commercial vehicles. Read more.
February 21, 2017
A Long History of CTA Inaction in the Establishment of Accessibility Regulations
There has been a long history of CTA inaction in the establishment of accessibility regulations. Read more.
CCD wins VIA Rail case at the Supreme Court of Canada on March 23, 2007.