Small Victories

I wrote earlier this year about my personal endeavour to have our local bus company institute a policy to which would allow the support person of a person with a disability to ride free of charge when accompanying the person with a disability. As I noted at the time, although they did have a policy in conjunction with the CNIB, providing that a blind person could travel with a support person without paying or a second fare, no policy existed around any other disabilities.

It was just in the midst of that little debate that the Canadian Transportation Agency "released a landmark decision concerning the right of individuals with disabilities to travel by air without having to pay for a second seat, for an attendant or other use, to accommodate their disability. In a historic decision in the “One Person, One Fare” case, the agency has recognized the right of these individuals to have access to a second seat when traveling by air in Canada without having to pay a second fare".

Which sounded like good ammo to me.

At any rate, I am pleased to announce that in June, 2008, Kings Transit passed the following policy:

Where any rider with a disability that requires the need of an attendant to ride the Kings Transit bus system the attendant shall be entitled to ride free of charge.

All riders requiring attendants shall fill out a form and register with Kings Transit identifying who their attendants are.

Attendants are only entitled free ridership while in the presence of their client and if necessary their return trip should they be returning alone.

Riders shall notify Kings Transit of any changes with their attendants.

Which just goes to show, I suppose, that we should never, ever give up. We will get there. Eventually. One step. One policy at a time.

And, lest we foget, kudos to Kings Transit.