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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.
Minister of Transport/CTA Archives
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.
November 18, 2016
SPEAKING NOTES FOR TRANSPORTATION ROUNDTABLE
CCD identifies measures that could advance barrier removal in the federally regulated transportation system. Read more.
November 16, 2016
CCD Says Regulations Are Necessary to Increase the Accessibility of Passenger Transportation
On Thursday, November 17, 2016 in Montreal, Bob Brown, Co-Chair of CCD's Transportation Committee, will attend the federal government's roundtable discussion on planned accessibility legislation, as it relates to transportation. Among other recommendations, CCD will urge the adoption of comprehensive accessibility regulations. Read more.
January 11, 2015
CCD Submission to Canada Transportation Act Review
October 29, 2014
An Overview of Progress and Barriers in Federally Regulated Transportation
Pat Danforth, Chairperson of CCD's Transportation Committee, shares examples of how barriers are being removed in the Canadian transportation system and calls attention to obstacles which still must be addressed. Read more.
January 27, 2011
Claredon Robicheau Speaks Out On Transportation
Claredon Robicheau summarizes some current issues in the federal mode of transportation. Read more.
January 25, 2011
Video: A Conversation about Accessible Transportation
Marie White and Claredon Robicheau discuss transportation barriers and how CCD is addressing these. Read more.
June 2, 2010
Student Creates Opportunity to Increase Accessibility
Today, Pat Martin, NDP MP for Winnipeg Centre, will introduce a Private Member’s Bill calling for an accessibility audit of federally regulated transportation systems. This initiative results from a high school student competition called Create Your Canada, where students were asked to draft a bill to change the way our country works. Sam Unrau, a Grade 12 student with disability at Argyle Alternative High School in Winnipeg, is the winner of the competition and his proposed Bill focuses on requiring the Government of Canada to undertake an accessibility audit of all federally regulated transportation systems. Read more.
January 20, 2010
Regulation of Federal Transportation System for Access
October 15, 2009
Current Issues
April 1, 2005
Chronology of Events in CCD's Via Rail Case
February 1, 2005
Moving Backwards: Canada's State of Transportation Accessibility in an International Context
CCD undertakes a comparative international analysis of transportation regulatory frameworks and makes recommendations for Canada. Read more.
CCD wins VIA Rail case at the Supreme Court of Canada on March 23, 2007.