By: Lee-Anne Thompson
Accessible public transportation has been identified as one of the key advocacy issues for people who are blind or partially sighted from communities across Canada. This spring, advocacy leads and volunteers across the country worked together to raise awareness about the importance of accessible public transit, leading up to our campaign Week of Action from June 20-24, 2022.
People who are blind or partially sighted often face barriers to accessing transportation, which can impact their ability to live, work, and play independently in their communities. Since many people with sight loss don’t have the option of driving, public transit is essential. But for many people, barriers such as cost, frequency, and lack of accessibility on transit and at transit stops and stations can make access challenging, if not impossible.
As part of our accessible public transit campaign, CNIB connected with over 90 participants at accessible transit regional town halls to learn more about their concerns and barriers to accessing public transportation.
Advocacy staff and volunteers submitted letters to the editor and participated in media interviews to raise awareness about the need for accessibility improvements for public transportation. Our media campaign reached more than 2.6 million people.
Although the campaign Week of Action has concluded, CNIB staff and volunteers continue to advocate for more accessible public transit. We’ll continue to meet with decision-makers and transit authorities across the country to share our concerns and discuss solutions.
Recently, we saw success coming out of Moncton, New Brunswick, with Codiac Transpo announcing the introduction of audible bus stop announcements, that will begin to roll out over the next year.
Thank you to everyone who supported the success of this campaign. For the latest information and how to get involved, please visit our accessible public transit webpage.