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Get on board with accessible public transit

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People with sight loss continue to loudly voice that transportation barriers are among the greatest they face, whether they live in rural or urban environments. The issue? Inaccessible transportation systems and built environment barriers put the community of people with sight loss in dangerous and stressful situations when travelling. That’s why CNIB has made Safe and Accessible Journeys a commitment under our 2023-2028 strategic plan, “The Way Forward”.  

Better transit = better quality of life. 

Public transit systems can create equal opportunities for everyone to travel within their community, but only when they are accessible and reliable. Without it, people who are blind, Deafblind, or have low vision are forced to rely on personal networks for assistance or risk using unsafe services to meet their needs, which may result in reduced independence, limited recreational and employment opportunities, and increased social isolation.  

People who are blind, Deafblind, or have low vision need safe and accessible transit options.

This is the right of all persons with disabilities under the federal Accessible Canada Act, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), and provincial accessibility legislation across the country.

Get on Board transit campaign 

Last year, CNIB introduced the “Get on Board!” campaign to advocate for accessible public transit systems. Through secret rider surveys, town halls, and ride-alongs with local decision-makers, the campaign gathered insights from the community on the barriers they face when using public transit, as well as their overall transit experiences.

To date, we’ve hosted 25 local town halls, met with over 30 politicians and transit officials, and have received over 130 secret rider surveys from across the country. Guided by the feedback we've received from the community, CNIB continues to engage with local transit authorities to push for improvements to public transit.

Get on Board – phase three

This fall, we’re excited to launch phase three of the “Get on Board!” campaign, this time targeting 10 new municipalities in Canada:

  • Kelowna, BC
  • Camrose, AB
  • Edmonton, AB
  • Prince Albert, SK
  • Portage La Prairie, MB
  • North Bay, ON
  • Toronto, ON
  • Kingston, ON
  • Sainte-Thérèse, QC
  • Saint John, NB

Once again, phase three of “Get on Board!” will involve a secret rider survey for people to provide feedback on the barriers they encounter while using public transit as well as organized transit ride-alongs with community members and local public officials.

Advocate with us 

Get involved

If you live in one of the 10 municipalities listed above, we hope you’ll join us in advocating for accessible public transit by participating in an undercover mission to improve public transit systems! Here’s how you can Get on Board:

1. Take public transit and complete our secret rider survey to tell us all about your transit experience. 

  • Did you encounter any barriers or challenges? Did the service meet your needs? 
  • Try to chat with a customer service representative—whether it’s asking a station staff member a question, interacting with a driver, or calling the transit authority’s helpline. Was the staff member helpful? Were they able to assist you?
  • Before, during, or after your trip, browse the transit authority’s website and/or app. Even if you didn’t use it to plan your trip, how easy is it to find the transit information you need? 
  • Ride transit and complete our survey to tell us all about your journey. 

2. Be part of the conversation by attending a local transit town hall.  Speak directly with local decision-makers about the accessibility of your transit system and share your experiences, frustrations, ideas or solutions to improve the accessibility of public transit. Register for a local town hall.

Get on Board!

Your involvement will help us grow the conversation around the lack of accessible public transit in many parts of Canada. By participating, you'll play an important role in creating accessible transit solutions for everyone, regardless of where they live.

We hope you’ll “Get on Board!” and share your experiences and ideas on how we can improve the accessibility of local transit – because everyone should be able to rely on public transit to travel safely and independently, whether across town or the country. To get involved in the larger campaign, please email advocacy@cnib.ca and we’ll keep you updated on future opportunities.

More about the campaign

Phase 1 (Fall 2023) Communities:
Edmonton, AB 
Metro-Vancouver, BC 
Winnipeg, MB 
Dieppe, NB 
Corner Brook, NL 
Sydney, NS 
London, ON  
Sudbury, ON 
Durham, ON 
Peterborough, ON 
Charlottetown, PEI 
Montreal, QC 
Saskatoon, SK

Phase 2 (Spring 2024) Communities:
Victoria, BC
Calgary, AB
Regina, SK
Brandon, MB
Thunder Bay, ON
Toronto, ON
Ottawa, ON
Quebec City, QC
Fredericton, NB
Yarmouth, NS
Goose Bay, NL
Summerside, PEI