Minding the gap takes on a whole new meaning for those who use the TTC while in a wheelchair. Ginella Massa with the struggles those with mobility issues face when taking public transit in Toronto.
Toronto was known as Toronto the Good. That moniker is long gone. There was a time when people would help people in wheelchairs. People who can take the stairs, take up the elevators when the person in wheelchair needs it the most. No wonder people hate on Toronto.
Is it possible to have larger front wheels on the wheel chair to take larger gaps and in general larger curbs on the road? Or will that make movement harder?
I was just talking about this this morning with someone, as Waterloo are going to have LRT which the accessibility might be issue too. And I mention I never saw someone with disabilities on subway in person, and how bad the TTC streetcars are not accessibility friendly.
Too bad Uber accessible vans are rare to find in Toronto.. their Uber wave/assist which is suppose to be accommodating to wheelchair users is hardly available. I find myself having to pay for an UberXL just to find a car with a big enough trunk to fit the wheelchair which costs double the price compared to a regular UberX.. on top of it I always have to be with someone who will help put my wheelchair into the car as Uber drivers normally don’t help and don’t want to be held responsible. It really is unfair.
Why don't you take the wheel trains. I apply for the wheel train years ago. I'm glade that I'm taking it. Give you less stress. You don't have to go to the bus from the bus to the subway from the subway take another bus again. That's so stressful 😫. The wheel trains go straight to where I want to go. If you lived outside of Toronto no problem. You can apply York Region. For example if you live in Richmond Hill you want to go to Toronto for outing for appointment or whatever you are going to Toronto. You have to called wheel trains and then you have to call york region and it's four wheel trains buses. At least is better than the subway my opinion.
I don't know why he doesn't, though personally while the Wheel Trans has it's benefits for us, it also has drawbacks and isnt sometimes suitable. So generally the issue remains and improvements need to be made to the non disabled designated rides too. So that we have less barriers to get around and more options to do so. For example, I want to have a greater convenience than the Wheel Trans provides me, to be able to go to or leave a place practically whenever I want. I don't want to feel pressured to leave somewhere when I wanna stay longer or worse need to stay long and vice versa. I want to be able to just go and wait for a ride that I usually know will be there in a few minutes, especially if I'm not traveling during rush hours, which I try to avoid doing when possible. Or just wait for the next ride or two that'll be less full. If I want to go somewhere, I want to be able to get ready and control exactly the minute I want to leave to wait for the ride, and if things change or I can't make up my mind I can just distance from the bus stop and think about it. I don't have to get penalized or have to book in advance and if I happen to wanna go home earlier I can't and have to wait for the predetermined time for the Wheel Trans to arrive. So for some of us I think of the Wheelchair Trans as bridging the gap, such as for example in the winter time when I can't take public transit and other similar instances. Not a complete substitute or necessary a better alternative. Its been about a year or two since I've taken the train, though personally its never been an issue for me in about the past 5 or so years that I've been taking it, given I use a powerchair and its front casters are big enough. Although in the very beginning I was apprehensive about whether or not i could make it. Though the experience may be different for some and I don't know if there's been an update on this story in terms of the gap. PS. Also say I wanna leave a place an hour or two eariler than planned, with Wheel Trans, I can't. I have to wait for that hour or 2 and then if there's a delay with the ride, that might add a half hour or more. So I'm stuck somewhere for potentially 2.5+ hrs. If I wanna stop let's say midway on the ride to go by elsewhere? Forget about it on the Wheel Trans. So while it can be quite helpful, other options are still needed. 😊
Forget even disability, ever try to bring a young child on subway/bus/streetcar? Half the stations do not have entry gates that accommodate a stroller, elevators that are frequently out of order, etc. TTC winning an award as best transit is pure jokes.
Ever consider that you can take a child out of a stroller but you cannot take yourself out of a wheelchair when you cannot walk in the first place? The child will grow up and learn to walk most likely but someone in a wheelchair will most likely will rely on the wheelchair.
Not always reliable. At times it become a ride share, wheel trans also have to pick out other people and drop them off before you finally get to your destination. Which often times means your late if your trying to get to work.
And people with allergies to said service animals have the right to not have an allergic reaction, but if the job requires them to simply accept those things they're allergic to, it limits their options. It would be nice if no one had allergies, but that's not how the world works.
They don't actually have that 'right.' As a public service provider, uber drivers can not deny service to a person using a service animal while the service animal remains under the control of it's owner.
You *are* aware that allergies are health-related issues, right? It does no one good if the driver is having a reaction to a service animal. Those who are allergic to something have the right to avoid interacting with it, especially if the reaction can potentially put others' lives at stake.
AS per the *Ontario Service Dogs Act, 2016.* No person, directly or indirectly, alone or with another, by himself, herself or itself or by the interposition of another, shall, (a) deny to any person the accommodation, services or facilities available in a school or in any place to which the public is customarily admitted; or (b) *discriminate against any person with respect to the accommodation, services or facilities available in a school or in any place to which the public is customarily admitted, or the charges for the use of the accommodation, services or facilities,* for the reason that he or she is a person with a disability who is accompanied by a service dog, or requires the accompaniment of a support person or the use of an assistive device to assist them with their service dog. Therefore someone who choses to offer the public service of operating their vehicle as an UBER vehicle, *DOES NOT* have the right to refuse service to a person using a service dog in Ontario. They made the choice to offer this service and potential have to serve persons with service animals of their own volition.
