Waterloo councillor blasts Ottawa's inaccessibility in letter to mayor

A regional councillor from Waterloo, Ont., says her experience trying to use accessible transportation in Ottawa was so poor it inspired her to write to Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and his council colleagues about its unreliability.

Coun. Chantal Huinink was born with a disability that requires her to use a wheelchair. In a letter dated Sept. 13, she detailed her experience trying to book an accessible taxi from Tremblay station for her and her personal support worker when she was in Ottawa in mid-August to attend the Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference.

"It was very disheartening to me that accessible transportation is so unreliable in our nation's capital," Huinink wrote.

After contacting two accessible taxi services upon her arrival at the Via Rail station, Huinink said she waited an hour and half but none arrived.

Booking a ride on Para Transpo wasn't feasible because customers are given an hour-long pickup window, she added.

"The political schedule doesn't operate on that timeline, and I don't think anyone should," she said in an interview with CBC.

Another wheelchair user suggested Huinink take the O-Train, so she did — at night with all her luggage in an unfamiliar city, an especially difficult task because Huinink has a visual impairment.

"If I had known a taxi would be there by a certain time, I would have waited," she said.

Accessibility lacking elsewhere

Huinink said in her hometown, she can book accessible taxis to pick her up at a specific time. She said her experience in Ottawa has led her to question whether she could ever get involved in federal politics, because she worries she could never navigate the capital.

Transportation wasn't the only problem, however.

"I was disappointed to find several of the automatic door openers of businesses, media stations and restaurants in the downtown core to be out of order and even more to be completely inaccessible due to a lack of ramp or elevator access," she wrote in the letter. 

"It reinforces my need to advocate for not only myself, but others as well," she told CBC in an interview.

Huinink said the mayor's office responded swiftly and positively, indicating they were "working on it" and connecting her with accessibility staff to explore her complaints further.

"It's not acceptable in this day and age that we are delivering that level of service to people with accessibility needs," said Coun. Marty Carr, a liaison for the city's accessibility advisory committee. 

Problems ignored, local advocate says

Kyle Humphrey, founder of No Such Thing as Can't, an initiative that aims to help break down barriers for people living with disabilities, said the lack of accessible taxis and buses is a serious problem.

Like Huinink, Humphrey said he has struggled with booking a ride on Para Transpo or in an accessible taxi, especially at night.

Para Transpo buses stop running after midnight, and Humphrey said he knows of people who have had to wait until 6 a.m. when that service resumes.

Humphrey said visitors come to Ottawa with high expectations, but often find the lack of accessibility unwelcoming.

"There are no words to describe how unfortunate and how hurtful it is to have a city council — not just this city council, but city councils for years have ignored the fact that Para [Transpo] users don't have equitable transit," he said. 

Humphrey said he'd like to see someone on city council who uses an accessibility device bring their perspective and lived experiences to the table.

Huinink noted it's not just an Ottawa problem, and also blames the province for failing to properly implement the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.

"It affects all municipalities," she said. "But there were key features that Ottawa Para Transpo doesn't have."