As you probably know, the Transportation Standards under the Integrated Accessibility Standards of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act will come into force over the next five years. The Ministry of Community and Social Services has released the accessible transportation compliance dates, and you can find them all below. Obligated transportation providers can keep this schedule as a quick reminder of present and future compliance deadlines.
The large sections on technical requirements allow for existing contracts prior to July 1, 2011, to proceed without retrofits. Further, providers need not retrofit existing vehicles in the fleet as of July 1, 2011. Any contracts signed after this date must meet technical requirements except in certain cases where an installation might compromise the structural integrity of a vehicle.
Compliance requirements due January 1, 2012
Conventional and Specialized Transportation Service Providers, General
- Section 34: Availability of information on accessibility equipment
- Section 35: Non-functioning accessibility equipment
- Section 37: Emergency preparedness and response policies
- Section 40: Transition, existing vehicles
Conventional Transportation Service Providers, General
Section 44: General responsibilities
- Section 46: Fares (subsection 1)
- Section 47: Transit stops
- Section 48: Storage of mobility aids, etc.
- Section 49: Courtesy seating
- Section 51: Pre-boarding announcements (subsection 1)
- Section 52: On-board announcements (subsection 1)
Conventional Transportation Service Providers, Technical Requirements
For contracts under this heading to purchase new or used vehicles on or after July 1, 2011, the provider will make sure the vehicles meet requirements of the section.
- Section 54: Floors and carpeted surfaces on vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 2013. Exclusion is vehicles that have two or more allocated mobility spaces and regulated under Regulation 629 of the Revised Regulations of Ontario, 1990 under the Highway Traffic Act (Vehicles for the Transportation of Physically Disabled Passengers).
- Section 56: Stop-requests and emergency response controls on vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 2013.
- Section 58: Signage on vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 2013.
- Section 59: Lifting devices, etc. on vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 2013. Exclusion is vehicles regulated under Regulation 629.
- Section 60: Steps on vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 2013. Exclusion is vehicles regulated under Regulation 629.
For the following sections, there is an exception to the above requirement for contracts entered on or after July 1, 2011, if installation impairs the structural integrity of a vehicle.
- Section 53: Requirements re grab bars, etc., on vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 2013. Exclusion is vehicles regulated under Regulation 629.
- Section 55: Allocated mobility aid spaces on vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 2013. Exclusion is vehicles with two or more mobility aid spaces regulated under Regulation 629.
- Section 57: Lighting features on vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 2013. Exclusion is vehicles regulated under Regulation 629.
- Section 61: Indicators and alarms on vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 2013. Exclusion is vehicles regulated under Regulation 629. Exception if installation of the warning lamp indicator or warning alarm impairs the structural integrity of a vehicle.
- Section 62: Accessibility, rail cars (subsection 1).
Specialized Transportation Service Providers
- Section 68: Origin to destination services
- Section 74: Companions and children
Other Transportation Services
- Section 75: School transportation (subsection 2)
- Section 76: Public sector organizations. Exclusion is campus security services provided by a public sector organization see Schedule 1.
- Section 77: Ferries (subsection 2, Integrated Standards Sections 34, 37, 44, 46, 48)
Duties of Municipalities and Taxicabs
- Section 80: Duties of municipalities, taxicabs
Compliance requirements due as of January 1, 2013:
Conventional and Specialized Transportation Service Providers, Accessibility Plans
- Section 41: Accessibility plans, conventional transportation services (specific)
- Section 42: Accessibility plans, specialized transportation services (specific)
- Section 43: Accessibility plans, conventional and specialized transportation services
Conventional Transportation Service Providers, General
- Section 45: Alternative accessible method of transportation
- Section 46: Fares (subsection 2)
Conventional Transportation Service Providers, Technical Requirements
- Section 53: Requirements re grab bars, etc. on vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 2013. Exclusion is vehicles regulated under Regulation 629. Exception is if installation impairs the structural integrity of a vehicle.
- Section 54: Floors and carpeted surfaces on vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 2013. Exclusion is vehicles regulated under Regulation 629. Any contracts to purchase new or used vehicles on or after July 1, 2011 the provider will make sure the vehicles meet requirements of this section.
- Section 55: Allocated mobility aid spaces on vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 2013. Exception is if installation impairs the structural integrity of the vehicle.
- Section 56: Stop-requests and emergency response controls on vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 2013.
- Section 57: Lighting features on vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 2013. Exclusion is vehicles regulated under Regulation 629. Exception is if installation impairs the structural integrity of a vehicle.
- Section 58: Signage on vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 2013.
- Section 59: Lifting devices, etc. on vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 2013.
- Section 60: Steps on vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 2013. Exclusion is vehicles regulated under Regulation 629.
- Section 61: Indicators and alarms on vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 2013. Exclusion is vehicles regulated under Regulation 629. Exception is if installation of the warning lamp indicator or warning alarm impairs the structural integrity of a vehicle.
- Section 62: Accessibility, rail cars manufactured on or after January 1, 2013 (subsection 2). Exception is if installation impairs the structural integrity of a vehicle.
Specialized and Conventional Transportation Service Providers who provide both services
- Section 66: Fare parity for providers of both conventional and specialized transportation services
- Section 70: Hours of service (subsection 2)
Specialized Transportation Service Providers
- Section 67: Visitors
- Section 69: Co-ordinated service
- Section 73: Service delays
Duties of Municipalities and Taxicabs
- Section 78: Duties of municipalities, general
- Section 79: Duties of municipalities, accessible taxicabs
Compliance requirements due as of July 1, 2013
Conventional Transportation Service Providers, General
- Section 50: Service disruptions
Other Transportation Services
- Section 77: Ferries (subsection 3, Integrated Standards Section 50)
Compliance requirements due as of January 1, 2014
Conventional and Specialized Transportation Service Providers, General
- Section 36: Accessibility Training
- Section 38: Fares, support persons
Specialized Transportation Service Providers
- Section 64: Eligibility application process
- Section 65: Emergency or compassionate grounds
- Section 71: Booking
- Section 72: Trip restrictions
Other Transportation Services
- Section 75: School transportation (subsection 3)
- Section 77: Ferries (Integrated Standards Section 36, 38)
Compliance requirements due as of January 1, 2017
Conventional Transportation Service Providers, General
- Section 51: Pre-boarding announcements subsection 2
- Section 52: On-board announcements subsections 2 & 3
Specialized Transportation Service Providers
- Section 63: Categories of eligibility
- Section 66: Fare parity (subsection 1)
- Section 70: Hours of service (subsection 1)
The clear message is that, as of July 1, 2011, obligated transportation providers must consider accessibility technical requirements when signing purchasing contracts for new vehicles.
Remember: the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service also include transportation requirements and demand specific actions be complete in 2012. A couple of these transportation regulations allow cover topics in the main Transportation Standards (discussed above), for example, service disruptions and service delays. Providers and customers may find these different compliance dates confusing if they expect these obligations to be in compliance as of this year.
Is everything you need to do clear now? No? Well, at least you have a calendar to remind you of compliance dates. Feel free to ask questions about with industry specific concerns. If you ask a question, other organizations may also find the answer helpful—and vice versa.
Suzanne Cohen Share, M.A., CEO
Access (SCS) Consulting Services
- An education campaign about courtesy/priority seating signs on transportation vehicles - September 14, 2012
- Pretty hazards: the accessible built environment - July 17, 2012
- Why website accessibility matters - June 20, 2012
Dear LiChing,
You are correct in all of your remarks. Organizations that are primarily outside of Ontario but operating within Ontario must keep themselves up to date on local legislation. I am doing my best by spreading the word but the reality is for every law specific to Ontario, those organizations must know those laws and maintain them. Thank you for your thoughtful response.
Suzanne, another timely post on this standard. My question is, there are non-Canadian companies that may not have a large office base in Ontario, but they do provide service to customers in Ontario. Are they aware of this Act and the Standards? My view is it should apply to them, because with outsourcing here to stay and perhaps increase going forward, we will have companies out of Ontario/Canada that provides goods and services to Ontario customers.