CTA Home : Accessible Transportation : Codes of Practice Code of Practice: Removing Communication Barriers for Travellers with DisabilitiesDownload it in PDF format (338 Kb) Canadian Transportation Agencyavailable in multiple formats © Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada, 2004 This Code and other Canadian Transportation Agency publications are available in multiple formats and on its Web site at: www.cta.gc.ca For more information about the Canadian Transportation Agency please call: Correspondence may be addressed to: Table of Contents
IntroductionA. Role of the Canadian Transportation AgencyThe Canadian Transportation Agency (hereafter the Agency), is a quasi-judicial administrative tribunal of the Government of Canada. Under Canadian legislation, the Agency has the responsibility for ensuring that persons with disabilities obtain access to this country's federal transportation system by eliminating unnecessary or unjustified barriers. One way to achieve this goal is to develop and administer accessibility standards covering the transportation network under federal jurisdiction. Other ways include addressing complaints and consulting with stakeholders. The Agency may make regulations to eliminate undue obstacles in the transportation network under federal jurisdiction. More specifically, the Agency may regulate:
Two sets of regulations regarding accessible transportation have been implemented by the Agency's predecessor. The first set – Personnel Training for the Assistance of Persons with Disabilities Regulations – ensures that personnel in the air as well as the federal rail and marine transportation network have the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to assist passengers with disabilities in an effective and sensitive fashion. The other – Air Transportation Regulations, Part VII, Terms and Conditions of Carriage of Persons with Disabilities – ensures that air carriers provide uniform services to passengers with disabilities travelling in Canada on aircraft with 30 or more passenger seats. In addition, the Agency has introduced the following Codes of Practice:
The Agency is not responsible for safety matters. However, carriers and terminal operators must continue to comply with safety regulations. This would include, but is not limited to, provisions made under the Aeronautics Act, the Railway Safety Act and the Canada Shipping Act. There is nothing in this Code of Practice that relieves any carrier or terminal operator from complying with the provisions of any of these safety regulations.
B. Purpose of this Code of PracticeThe purpose of this Code is to improve the communication of transportation-related information for persons with disabilities on a systemic basis as they use the federal transportation system. In the 1995 TransAccess Information Base (Values in the TransAccess Information Base are age-adjusted projections of the figures for adults residing in households determined by Statistics Canada in its 1991 Health and Activity Limitation Survey), it was estimated that 3.8 million Canadians 15 years of age and over have some level of disability. It was further estimated that 715,000 adults with disabilities travelled by air, 440,000 travelled by rail and 168,000 by ferry in 1995. Since the incidence of disability increases with age, the demand for accessible transportation will be even greater as Canada's population ages. While this Code focuses on the information needs of persons with disabilities while they travel, the information enhancements contained in the Code will benefit all travellers. The Agency recognizes that the availability of some services prescribed in the Code can only be accommodated by transportation service providers when passengers identify their particular communication needs prior to their trip. The Agency also recognizes that passengers with disabilities may need to self-identify at various stages of their trip so that personnel are aware of their particular needs. The Agency wishes to emphasize that this Code presents minimum standards that transportation service providers are expected to meet and urges them to strive to exceed these standards wherever feasible. Additional information is provided in Appendix B on how to improve the communication of information for persons with disabilities. As well, the Canadian Standards Association and the Canadian General Standards Board have developed standards that contain criteria that are applicable to the issue of communication of information for Persons with disabilities. All transportation service providers are encouraged to refer to these standards and to adopt the appropriate technical specifications contained in them.
C. Background Research and ConsultationsThis Code has been produced by the Agency in consultation with its Accessibility Advisory Committee and the public. This Committee is made up of representatives of organizations of and for persons with disabilities as well as representatives of the transportation industry, including carriers and terminal operators, manufacturers and other departments of the Government of Canada. The mandate of the Committee is to provide input toward the development of the Agency's regulations and standards on the accessibility of transportation. In the year 2000, the Agency conducted a national survey of persons with disabilities who travelled by air. The results of the Air Travel Accessibility Survey provided further evidence that poor communication of transportation-related information remains a significant barrier to the mobility of persons with disabilities. As well, the survey results confirmed that both airport and on-board communication remained problematic for persons with visual and/or hearing disabilities in particular. For example, the 1,120 travellers with disabilities who participated in the survey identified the following problems related to communication issues:
These data supported the findings of a report entitled Communication Barriers: A Look at Barriers to Communication Facing Persons with Disabilities who Travel by Air which was produced by the Agency in 1997. This report was issued in response to consumer concerns raised in consultations with air carriers, airports, individuals and organizations representing persons with disabilities. During consultations, communication and access to information were identified as weak links in the accessibility of the transportation network. The report also noted that passengers with disabilities need to be more informed about the accessibility equipment, accommodations and services available to them. While the report represented a first step towards improving the communication of information for persons with disabilities travelling by air, the Agency is taking a more systemic approach to the implementation of the report's recommendations as well as expanding their application to rail and ferry services under federal jurisdiction with this Code of Practice.
D. AdministrationThe Agency will conduct periodic surveys to monitor the progress on the implementation of this Code and will verify the information provided in these surveys using a variety of means. Reports on the findings of these monitoring surveys will be provided to the Accessibility Advisory Committee. In addition to these surveys, the Agency will also undertake periodic reviews of the Code. Any problems identified will be presented to the Accessibility Advisory Committee for consultation and any proposed amendments will be distributed to the public for comment. Independent of this process, the Agency will also continue to exercise its authority to deal with individual complaints to determine whether there are undue obstacles to the mobility of persons with disabilities.
E. Definitions"Alternative Communication Systems" are systems which facilitate communication, such as TTYs (teletypewriters or "text phones") and compatible devices which operate via phone and cable lines (such as fax machines and electronic mail), as well as pagers and personal digital assistants (such as Palm Pilots©), which operate via infra-red or satellite. TTYs are currently a widely used alternative communication system used by Persons who are Deaf or speech impaired. It is recognized, however, that new, emerging technologies may also provide an equivalent service. "Carriers" includes airlines, passenger rail carriers and passenger ferry operators. "Ground Transportation Service Providers" includes taxis, limousines, motor coaches, shuttle buses and rental vehicle companies that operate from a terminal under contract or permit with the terminal operator. "Multiple Formats" are formats that substitute or complement conventional print and video products and that address the communication needs of persons with visual and hearing disabilities and persons with cognitive disabilities. These include: computer diskette or electronic copy, large print, audio tape, Braille, captioned video, sign language video and described video. (Refer to Appendix C for additional information on multiple formats.) "Orientation Material" means written or graphical material describing the layout and operational features of terminals, aircraft, railcars and ferry vessels. This includes the location of washrooms, passenger service areas, exits and the function and location of call and control buttons at passenger seats and in washrooms. "Passenger Service Area" means the areas inside a terminal where passengers must interact with transportation service provider personnel, or where facilities related to the successful execution of a trip are located. These include check-in or ticket counters, areas where transportation-related dispensing machines are located, passenger information kiosks or counters, boarding gates or departure areas, baggage retrieval areas and ground transportation service areas. "Related Transportation Service Providers" includes contractors or entities which provide services related to the successful execution of a trip for passengers travelling with carriers or through terminals covered by this Code. "Terminal Operators" includes organizations, authorities and operators responsible for the management and administration of air, rail and ferry terminals. "Transportation-Related Dispensing Machines and Automated Information Kiosks" are automated dispensing machines or computerized information kiosks used to provide a product or service that is related to the successful execution of a trip, such as paying airport improvement fees and express check-in kiosks. They do not include machines such as food and beverage machines, newspaper dispensers or tourist information kiosks. "Transportation Service Providers" includes air, rail and ferry carriers and terminals covered by this Code.
F. Who is Covered by this CodeThe following transportation service providers are to follow this Code: Air Carriers: Canadian (As defined in the Canada Transportation Act, i.e. "Canadian" means a Canadian citizen or permanent resident within the meaning of the Immigration Act, a government in Canada or an agent of such a government or a corporation or other entity that is incorporated or formed under the laws of Canada or a province that is controlled in fact by Canadians and of which at least seventy-five per cent, or such lesser percentage as the Governor-in-Council may by regulation specify, of the voting interests are owned and controlled by Canadians.) air carriers that operate fixed-wing aircraft with 30 or more passenger seats used for providing passenger service. Air Terminal Operators: Operators of terminals within the National Airports System. Rail Carriers: Rail carriers under federal jurisdiction operating passenger rail services in Canada, except for commuter or tourist services. Rail Terminal Operators: Operators of terminals with 10,000 or more passengers embarking and 10,000 or more passengers disembarking in each of the two preceding calendar years, excluding those terminals used principally for commuter or tourist services. Passenger Ferry Operators: Operators of passenger ferry services that are operated between provinces or territories, or between a province or territory and the United States which operate vessels of 1,000 gross tonnes or more that transport passengers. Ferry Terminal Operators: Canadian ferry terminals with 10,000 or more passengers embarking and 10,000 or more passengers disembarking in each of the two preceding calendar years; and at which ferries of 1,000 gross tonnes or more operate between provinces or territories, or between a province or territory and the United States. Although other transportation service providers in Canada are not subject to this Code, they are encouraged to implement its provisions.
G. ImplementationIn general, transportation service providers covered by this Code are to implement the provisions contained herein as soon as possible, but by no later than June 1, 2007. However, the provisions related to Transportation-Related Dispensing Machines and Automated Information Kiosks (Section 1.3) are to be implemented by no later than June 1, 2009. In addition, certain transportation service providers covered by this Code may also be subject to the regulations and codes of practice listed in the introduction under Section A, which are already in effect as of January 1, 2002. To assist transportation service providers in implementing the provisions of this Code, the Guide to Removing Communication Barriers for Travellers with Disabilities has been created by the Agency. This Guide provides the context and rationale for the provisions of the Code, technical and community resource contacts, as well as examples of best practices. The Guide was developed as a practical information resource and is not intended to restrict or specify any operational decisions to be taken by transportation service providers in their implementation of this Code.
Section 1: General Provisions1.1 Provision of Transportation-Related Information in Multiple FormatsTransportation service providers are to develop and follow their own Multiple Format Policy to ensure that information related to the successful execution of a trip is available to all travellers in a format that is accessible to them. (Appendix C provides examples of commonly-used formats.) The Generic Multiple Format Policy included in Appendix A has been developed by the Agency to be used as guidance for transportation service providers who are developing their own policies. Transportation service providers are strongly encouraged to incorporate the policy elements included in the Generic Policy into their own multiple format policies.
1.2 Web Site AccessibilityWeb sites are to be made accessible to persons with disabilities by following the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. (W3C Web Content Accessibility guidelines are at www.w3c.org/tr/wai-webcontent) Web pages are to be produced so they can be accurately converted into other formats by the user. Information provided on the Internet should be linked to text-based options for browsers used by persons with disabilities. Web-based information related to the successful execution of a trip should also be made available by other means of communication upon request.
1.3 Transportation-related Dispensing Machines and Automated Information KiosksWhere dispensing machines or computerized information kiosks are used to provide a transportation-related product or service, at least one of those machines in each separate service area should allow a person who uses a wheelchair, is blind or visually impaired, has a speech impairment or is Deaf or hard of hearing, to use the machine independently and securely. Accessible dispensing machines and information kiosks are to be appropriately identified with the international symbol of access. Prior to introducing any transportation-related dispensing machines or information kiosks, consultations with organizations of and for persons with disabilities should be held to make it as accessible as possible. Adoption of the technical specifications in the Canadian Standards Association's Where a transportation-related dispensing machine or information kiosk has not yet been made accessible to persons with disabilities, then an equivalent level of service is to be provided to those persons who are unable to use the dispensing machine or information kiosk independently.
1.4 Telecommunication Systems for Reservations and InformationTransportation service providers who use telephone lines for reservations, information or any services related to the successful execution of a trip are to provide an equal level of service to passengers with disabilities through the use of alternative communication systems, such as a TTY line. Ground transportation service providers are also to provide alternative communication systems, such as a TTY line, to ensure equal access to reservation and information lines. It is the responsibility of the terminal operator to ensure that ground transportation service providers provide these facilities by specifying these requirements in the terms of their contracts or by other means. Information on how to access alternative communication systems (i.e. TTY phone numbers) is to be clearly indicated in all publications, promotions, advertisements, Web sites or other information products where telephone numbers are listed. When automated voice messaging systems are used on reservation or information lines, a readily accessible link to a live operator should be prominently featured and/or the option of leaving a message to have the call returned should be provided. The option to have automated messages or menus repeated should also be provided. Automated voice messaging systems are not accessible to TTY users. As such, all information and services available through these systems are to be available by using an alternative communication system such as a TTY line. Alternative communication systems are to be properly maintained and kept in good working order. Reservation and information operators should be trained in the proper use of this equipment.
Section 2: Terminal Provisions2.1 Telecommunication Systems in TerminalsWhere public telephones are provided, terminal operators are to ensure that there is an adequate number of accessible public telephones that allow a person who uses a wheelchair, is blind or visually impaired, has a speech impairment, or is Deaf, deafened or hard of hearing, to use the machine independently. At least one accessible public telephone (including a TTY or other alternative communication system) is to be provided in each separate unrestricted and restricted departure and arrival area, 24-hours a day. At a minimum, accessible public phones and TTYs (or other alternative communication systems) are to be located in each of the following areas if public telephones are provided: arrival and departure areas, boarding gate or track areas, baggage claim areas and corridors leading to each of these areas. Accessible telephones and TTYs are to be clearly identified using the international symbol of access or the identification symbol for TTYs. Signs providing direction to public telephones are also to provide direction to the nearest TTY or alternative communication system using the appropriate symbol. Also, where a bank of regular telephones is not equipped with an alternative communication system, directional signage indicating the location of the nearest device is to be placed adjacent to this bank, using the appropriate symbol. Terminal operators are to ensure alternative communications systems are properly maintained and kept in good working order.
2.2 SignageSignage (See Section 2.1 of Air Code, Section 1.2.2 of Rail Code and Section 2.1 of Ferry Code for provisions related to signage for carriers.) that is provided in all public areas of terminals is to be accessible to all passengers. The application of the Canadian General Standards Board Passenger Information Symbols Standard (CAN/CGSB-109.4-2000) is encouraged, as it will ensure the uniform application of accessibility criteria for signage. (Safety and crew signage are regulated by Transport Canada and therefore are not covered by these specifications.)
2.3 Public Announcements in TerminalsPublic announcements related to the successful execution of a trip are to be provided in both audio and visual formats in all passenger service areas inside terminals. These announcements include, but are not limited to: information concerning departure delays, gate or track assignments and schedule or connection changes. Public announcements are to be of good quality, in plain language, with clear enunciation and spoken slowly enough to be easily understood. Messages should be repeated. Prerecorded messages are to be used as often as possible to improve the clarity of announcements.
2.4 Arrival/Departure Monitors and Other Electronic SignageSome or all monitors are to be installed at eye level (1.5 metres above the floor +/-25 mm) in each area where monitors are used. (Technical specifications for monitors can be found in CAN/CSA B651.1-01, Barrier Free Design for Automated Banking Machines.) Where monitors are placed above eye level, they are to be placed at a height of 2.03 metres +/- 25 mm so that they can be seen easily by a person in a wheelchair. The information displayed on the monitors is to be in plain language that is easy to read, avoiding acronyms where possible. When monitors or other electronic signs are used, good colour contrast is to be provided, such as a light colour on a dark background or a dark colour on a light background, with light on dark being preferable. Monitors are to be positioned to avoid glare. Red lettering on a black background is not to be used. Scrolling, flashing or dot matrix text also create accessibility barriers for some users and are to be avoided, where possible.
2.5 Information on Ground TransportationWhere information on ground transportation is available, terminal operators are to specify in their contracts with ground transportation service providers that:
2.6 Designated Seating at Boarding Gates and Departure AreasWhere seating is provided, designated seating for passengers with disabilities is to be provided at boarding gates and departure areas within viewing distance of communication boards and/or personnel and identified by the universal symbol of access.
2.7 Security at AirportsSecurity personnel are to use both audible and visual means to advise passengers of the following: when to proceed into the security area; directions for placing carry-on baggage and other materials on the belt for x-ray; when they can proceed through the magnetometer; and when the security inspection is complete and they can proceed. Audible and visual cues are especially important when additional procedures such as an additional hand search of carry-on baggage or a secondary search of the person is required.
Section 3: Provisions Regarding On-Board Communication3.1 Communication of Equipment FeaturesUpon request, crews on-board aircraft, rail cars and ferries are to give oral, written or visual information about the equipment features of the vehicle or the vessel (such as the location and function of call or control buttons at seating and washroom features) to passengers with disabilities. This information should also be made available in multiple formats, where possible. (See Section 2.8 of Air Code and Section 2.3 of Ferry Code for the provisions related to Supplemental Passenger Briefing Cards to be provided in Braille and large print.)
3.2 Safety VideosCarriers are to ensure that all information presented in on-board safety videos in a visual format is described verbally; and that all audible information is presented visually.
Appendix A - Generic Multiple Format PolicyThe following Multiple Format Policy has been developed in consultation with representatives of organizations of and for persons with disabilities as well as representatives of the transportation industry and includes key policy elements for transportation service providers to include in their own policies.
Appendix B - Guidelines for Improving Communication with Persons with DisabilitiesA) General Guidelines
B) Guidelines for Communicating with Persons who are Deaf, Deafened, Hard of Hearing or who have a Speech Impairment
C) Guidelines for Communicating with Persons who are Blind or who have Low Vision Communication with passengers often involves giving directions. As such, this section includes guidelines for directing passengers who are blind or who have vision impairments, who require a person to guide them and/or who use a guide dog to assist with wayfinding.
D) Guidelines for Communicating with Passengers who are Deaf-blind
E) Guidelines for Communicating with Persons who have a Cognitive Disability or a Learning Disability
Appendix C - Commonly-Used Multiple FormatsMultiple formats complement or replace conventional print and video products and may address the communication needs of persons with disabilities. Some formats are useful to more than one group. A) Multiple Formats for Documents
B) Multiple Formats for Video Information and Signage
Appendix D - Commonly-Used Assistive Devices and Technical Aids
Appendix E - Commonly-Used Assistive Listening SystemsAssistive listening systems are used to augment regular audio systems and are used primarily by persons who are Deaf, deafened or hard of hearing.
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