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AODA: Accessible transportation compliance schedule

Author: Suzanne Cohen Share

Posted on Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

 

 

As you probably know, the Transportation Standards under the Integrated Accessibility Standards of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act will come into force over the next five years. The Ministry of Community and Social Services has released the accessible transportation compliance dates, and you can find them all below. Obligated transportation providers can keep this schedule as a quick reminder of present and future compliance deadlines.

The large sections on technical requirements allow for existing contracts prior to July 1, 2011, to proceed without retrofits. Further, providers need not retrofit existing vehicles in the fleet as of July 1, 2011. Any contracts signed on or after this date must meet technical requirements except in certain cases where an installation might compromise the structural integrity of a vehicle. All vehicles received after January 1, 2013 must meet the technical requirements and there are no exceptions. For compliance requirements dates, this schedule begins on January 1, 2012 although numerous compliance dates are July 1, 2011. Due to the release of this article on January, 2012 all previous compliance dates are included as due as of this date.

Compliance requirements due January 1, 2012

Conventional and Specialized Transportation Service Providers, General

• Section 34: Availability of information on accessibility equipment
• Section 35: Non-functioning accessibility equipment
• Section 37: Emergency preparedness and response policies
• Section 40: Transition, existing vehicles

Conventional Transportation Service Providers, General

Section 44: General responsibilities

• Section 46: Fares (subsection 1)
• Section 47: Transit stops
• Section 48: Storage of mobility aids, etc.
• Section 49: Courtesy seating
• Section 51: Pre-boarding announcements (subsection 1)
• Section 52: On-board announcements (subsection 1)

Conventional Transportation Service Providers, Technical Requirements

For contracts under this heading to purchase new or used vehicles on or after July 1, 2011, the provider will make sure the vehicles meet requirements of the section now.

• Section 54: Floors and carpeted surfaces on vehicles manufactured on or after July 1, 2011. Exclusion is vehicles that have two or more allocated mobility spaces and regulated under Regulation 629 of the Revised Regulations of Ontario, 1990 under the Highway Traffic Act (Vehicles for the Transportation of Physically Disabled Passengers).
• Section 56: Stop-requests and emergency response controls on vehicles purchased on or after July 1, 2011.
• Section 58: Signage on vehicles purchased on or after July 1, 2011.
• Section 59: Lifting devices, etc. on vehicles purchased on or after July 1, 2011. Exclusion is vehicles regulated under Regulation 629.
• Section 60: Steps on vehicles manufactured on or after July 1, 2011. Exclusion is vehicles regulated under Regulation 629.

For the following sections, there is an exception to the requirement for purchases on or after July 1, 2011, if installation impairs the structural integrity of a vehicle. All new or used vehicles acquired on or after January 1, 2013 will comply with all technical requirements and there are no exceptions.

• Section 53: Requirements re grab bars, etc., on vehicles purchased on or after July 1, 2011. Exclusion is vehicles regulated under Regulation 629.
• Section 55: Allocated mobility aid spaces on vehicles purchased on or after July 1, 2011. Exclusion is vehicles with two or more mobility aid spaces regulated under Regulation 629.
• Section 57: Lighting features on vehicles purchased on or after July 1, 2011. Exclusion is vehicles regulated under Regulation 629.
• Section 61: Indicators and alarms on vehicles purchased on or after July 1, 2011.
• Section 62: Accessibility, rail cars (subsection 1) compliance due date is July 1, 2011. Subsection 2 on vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 2013.  On or after July 1, 2011 for providers who entered a contractual obligation and installation does not impair the structural integrity of the vehicle.

Specialized Transportation Service Providers

• Section 68: Origin to destination services
• Section 74: Companions and children

Other Transportation Services

• Section 75: School transportation (subsection 2)
• Section 76: Public sector organizations. Exclusion is campus security services provided by a public sector organization see Schedule 1.
• Section 77: Ferries (subsection 2, Integrated Standards Sections 34, 37, 44, 46, 48)

Duties of Municipalities and Taxicabs

• Section 80: Duties of municipalities, taxicabs

Compliance requirements due as of January 1, 2013:

Conventional and Specialized Transportation Service Providers, Accessibility Plans

• Section 41: Accessibility plans, conventional transportation services (specific)
• Section 42: Accessibility plans, specialized transportation services (specific)
• Section 43: Accessibility plans, conventional and specialized transportation services

Conventional Transportation Service Providers, General

• Section 45: Alternative accessible method of transportation
• Section 46: Fares (subsection 2)

Conventional Transportation Service Providers, Technical Requirements

• Section 53: Requirements re grab bars, etc. on vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 2013. Exclusion is vehicles regulated under Regulation 629.
• Section 54: Floors and carpeted surfaces on vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 2013. Exclusion is vehicles regulated under Regulation 629. Any contracts to purchase new or used vehicles on or after July 1, 2011 the provider will make sure the vehicles meet requirements of this section.
• Section 55: Allocated mobility aid spaces on vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 2013.
• Section 56: Stop-requests and emergency response controls on vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 2013.
• Section 57: Lighting features on vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 2013. Exclusion is vehicles regulated under Regulation 629.
• Section 58: Signage on vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 2013.
• Section 59: Lifting devices, etc. on vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 2013.
• Section 60: Steps on vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 2013. Exclusion is vehicles regulated under Regulation 629.
• Section 61: Indicators and alarms on vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 2013. Exclusion is vehicles regulated under Regulation 629.
• Section 62: Accessibility, rail cars manufactured on or after January 1, 2013 (subsection 2).

Specialized and Conventional Transportation Service Providers who provide both services

• Section 66: Fare parity for providers of both conventional and specialized transportation services
• Section 70: Hours of service (subsection 2)

Specialized Transportation Service Providers

• Section 67: Visitors
• Section 69: Co-ordinated service
• Section 73: Service delays

Duties of Municipalities and Taxicabs

• Section 78: Duties of municipalities, general
• Section 79: Duties of municipalities, accessible taxicabs

Compliance requirements due as of July 1, 2013

Conventional Transportation Service Providers, General

• Section 50: Service disruptions

Other Transportation Services

• Section 77: Ferries (subsection 3, Integrated Standards Section 50)

Compliance requirements due as of January 1, 2014

Conventional and Specialized Transportation Service Providers, General

• Section 36: Accessibility Training
• Section 38: Fares, support persons

Specialized Transportation Service Providers

• Section 64: Eligibility application process
• Section 65: Emergency or compassionate grounds
• Section 71: Booking
• Section 72: Trip restrictions

Other Transportation Services

• Section 75: School transportation (subsection 3)
• Section 77: Ferries (Integrated Standards Section 36, 38)

Compliance requirements due as of January 1, 2017

Conventional Transportation Service Providers, General

• Section 51: Pre-boarding announcements subsection 2
• Section 52: On-board announcements subsections 2 & 3

Specialized Transportation Service Providers

• Section 63: Categories of eligibility
• Section 66: Fare parity (subsection 1)
• Section 70: Hours of service (subsection 1)

The clear message is that, as of July 1, 2011, obligated transportation providers must consider accessibility technical requirements when signing purchasing contracts for new vehicles. Any vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 2013 must meet all technical requirements.

Remember: the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service also include transportation requirements and demand specific actions be complete in 2012. A couple of these transportation regulations allow cover topics in the main Transportation Standards (discussed above), for example, service disruptions and service delays. Providers and customers may find these different compliance dates confusing if they expect these obligations to be in compliance as of this year.

Is everything you need to do clear now? No? Well, at least you have a calendar to remind you of compliance dates. Feel free to ask questions about with industry specific concerns. If you ask a question, other organizations may also find the answer helpful—and vice versa.

Suzanne Cohen Share, M.A., CEO
Access (SCS) Consulting Services

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