By: Robert Fenton KC, Chair, CNIB Board of Directors
Travelling by air is a stressful situation. And unfortunately, for people who are blind, Deafblind, or have low vision—this mode of travel comes with its own unique set of issues, such as navigating the airport, obtaining accessible information, and receiving appropriate assistance, just to name a few.
As a result of these issues, as well as other accessibility barriers, the federal government held the National Air Accessibility Summit in May. At the Summit, the disability community relayed its frustrations and considerations to make a safer and more accessible air travel journey. As the representative for CNIB, I shared the organization’s robust feedback and recommendations that we also shared to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Transportation.
While the Air Summit was an important moment bringing together the airline industry, disability community and government to discuss accessibility for the first time, the follow-up has been consequential. CNIB has since met with senior leaders in the airline industry, regulated entities, and airports to discuss these matters further and collaborate on solutions to overcome these barriers.
We first discussed the need for better customer service training. No longer should a person who is blind or low vision, or a guide dog handler, be offered a wheelchair when they require assistance. We discussed the need for better security measures to understand our assistive technology. We shouldn't be pulled aside and asked intrusive questions because we travel with a braille display or because our eyes may wander due to our medical condition when we are communicating with others. We discussed making simple, low-cost additions, like braille signage, to the overhead stowage so that we can find our seats after we leave our seats for any reason.
The airline industry is a complex one. But, by working collaboratively, we can remove barriers to our travel and restore dignity as a passenger. While encouraged by this initial dialogue, rest assured that we will continue to keep the industry's feet to the fire to create a truly barrier-free Canada.
You can learn more about our accessible air transportation recommendations to the federal government by visiting our air travel page.