In October, CNIB introduced “Get on Board!” – a new advocacy campaign centred on accessible transit as part of our strategic commitment to Safe and Accessible Journeys.
The “Get on Board!” campaign examined the accessibility of buses, light rail, and ferries operated by 13 transit authorities and shed light on the obstacles encountered by individuals with sight loss when navigating publicly funded fixed-route transit services in various municipalities across Canada. It also provided opportunities for CNIB to develop and strengthen relationships with government and transit officials in each participating community.
While the fall launch laid the foundation for our ongoing advocacy work, we’re excited to introduce the next phase of the "Get on Board!" transit campaign.
Join us in an undercover mission to improve public transit systems!
The "Get on Board!” spring advocacy campaign will run from May 6 to June 6, 2024 – but this time, we’re targeting 12 new municipalities:
- 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
Once again, campaign activities involve a secret rider survey to gather input from the community on the accessibility of these 12 municipal transit systems and a town hall discussion of our findings, focusing on proposing recommendations to enhance the accessibility of our transit systems.
Here’s how you can get involved.
- Ride public transit and share your insights. From now until June 6, ride public transit and share your opinions by participating in a survey about your transit experience.
- Hear what other “secret riders” had to say and share your feedback at an in-person Town Hall. During the weeks of May 27 and June 3, join us for a local town hall where we’ll engage local decision-makers on regional transit accessibility issues, examine the early secret-rider survey findings, and discuss key findings and recommendations.
We hope you’ll “Get on Board” and advocate with us by sharing 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.
If your region is not included, we still welcome your participation! If you would like to participate in the larger campaign, please email advocacy@cnib.ca and we’ll keep you updated on future opportunities.