Canada: Disabled passengers say new rules present some greater barriers to air travel

Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press, September 10, 2019
The regulations do little to improve airport service or accommodate attendants and service dogs on board international flights, president of Citizens with Disabilities Ontario says. The regulations, rolled out in June under a revised Canada Transportation Act, with most slated to take effect in June 2020, do little to improve spotty airport service or accommodate attendants and service dogs on board international flights. The agency has acknowledged its uneven regulatory regime, citing the patchwork of regulations and voluntary standards, some of which are outdated and inadequate in their scope, that resulted in inconsistent accessibility-related services and reduced access to transportation services for persons with disabilities. The Canadian Transportation Agency’s stated goals, variously defined as “equal access” and “more accessible” service, conflict with each other, leaving levels of accommodation unclear. The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) says it will be monitoring…very closely a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration study on wheelchair anchor systems with an eye to allowing passengers to remain seated in the cabin in their mobility devices. A report is expected in the next three years.