(Toronto, ON) – Community choir "Common Thread Community Chorus," which is concerned that its members who rely on Wheel-Trans will lose access to the service, will sing outside a Wheel-Trans consultation meeting on Tuesday, April 16th, 2024 at 3:45pm at Metro Hall (55 John Street).
“Singers in our choir rely on Wheel-Trans to get to our weekly rehearsals and performances, and for all other aspects of their lives like health appointments, getting groceries, and seeing family,” said Jane Field, a Wheel-Trans user and singer with Common Thread Community Chorus. “We are singing a message today to oppose the TTC’s plan to force some people with disabilities and seniors to use the conventional TTC by making the Family of Services program mandatory.”
The TTC’s Wheel-Trans 10-Year Strategy set an arbitrary “diversion target” to restrict 50% of Wheel-Trans users from full door-to-door service by 2025. Under a program called the “Family of Services,” all current Wheel-Trans users are being re-registered into three categories: Unconditional (door-to-door), Conditional (door-to-door only when “conditions” are present), and Temporary. If the TTC Board makes the program mandatory, some Wheel-Trans users will be forced to take conventional buses, subways, and streetcars for parts of their trips.
“As someone dealing with quadriplegia, I cannot use the regular TTC independently. But the TTC told me I do not qualify for door-to-door service on Wheel-Trans,” said Jane Field. “I have been traumatized in the past from being trapped in an elevator at Union Station for several hours in my wheelchair, and from having my front wheel caught between the subway I was exiting and the platform. I won my appeal to the TTC to keep my access to door-to-door service but it cost me time, money, and lost sleep.”
Jennifer Griffiths, who also sings in Common Thread Community Chorus, is blind and coping with the recent loss of her guide dog Dalton. "Were it not for the kindness of a fellow chorister who drives me to and from rehearsal since I lost Dalton I would be struggling to get here. When I call Wheel-Trans I am badgered to take the Family of Services since my status is "Conditional." I do not feel safe on the TTC with a white cane. I walk more slowly and am terrified of bumping into angry people. A guide dog is an object avoider whereas a cane is an object detector. I have had people yell at me if I accidentally touch their toes with my cane. It is getting worse all the time. I need door-to-door Wheel-Trans for my safety and independence.”
“If the conventional TTC was truly accessible, people with disabilities would already be using it. Wheel-Trans users cannot and should not be forced onto crowded streetcars, subways, and buses. TTC vehicles are crowded most of the time, and there isn’t enough room for me to get on,” said wheelchair user and TTCriders member Adam Cohoon. “Our transit trips will get longer, more dangerous, and many people with disabilities will give up and stay isolated at home. We will lose our independence.”
Background information about the Family of Services:
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Wheel-Trans users are being re-registered and assigned into one of three categories: unconditional, temporary, or conditional access. Wheel-Trans users who signed up after 2017 have already been placed into one of the three categories:
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Temporary eligibility: riders will have access to Wheel-Trans for a limited amount of time.
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Conditional eligibility: If their "conditions" are not present and the program becomes mandatory, riders will be forced to complete some or all of their trips on conventional TTC subways, streetcars, and buses (known as a “Family of Services” trip). When "conditions" are present, riders will be eligible to receive a “door-to-door” Wheel-Trans trip (list of conditions below).
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Unconditional eligibility: riders will continue to have access to “door-to-door” trips.
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The TTC’s Wheel-Trans 10-Year Strategy set an arbitrary “diversion target” to restrict 50% of Wheel-Trans users from full door-to-door service by 2025.
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A 2017 Project Charter document obtained by TTCriders through a Freedom of Information identifies a risk that Wheel-Trans users will be reluctant to book Family of Services trips, which will “[impede] achievement of target,” and proposes to “make it mandatory for conditional customers to schedule FOS trips whenever possible” [emphasis added].
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Financial barriers may prevent Wheel-Trans users from appealing the category they get assigned. Users have 90 days from the date of their eligibility decision to submit an appeal, during which time appellants organize appointments with specialists, potentially pay for a new doctor’s note, and potentially organize additional attendant support.
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Less than 0.02% of Wheel-Trans applicants appealed their eligibility in 2017 and 2018.
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The 2023 TTC Operating Budget reduced service frequency and changed its planning standards so that bus, streetcar, and subway service at all times of day is planned for “standing room only,” which has reduced the amount of space available for people with mobility devices.
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Selected list of “conditions” that conditional Wheel-Trans users may get assigned (when a condition is present, the rider will be eligible to book a “door-to-door” trip):
Travelling Alone - Customer is able to travel on the TTC when they have a support person with them. If they are travelling alone, they may need Wheel-Trans for that trip.
Darkness - Customer is able to travel on TTC during daylight hours. If it is dark, they may need Wheel-Trans for that trip.
Good Day/Bad day - Customer has a disability that is fluctuating. Customer is able to travel on the TTC when they are having a good day. If they are having a bad day, they may need Wheel-Trans for that trip.
Rush Hour AM - Customer is able to take the TTC during off-peak hours. If they trip is during the AM rush hour, they may need Wheel-Trans for that trip.
Rush Hour PM - Customer is able to take the TTC during off-peak hours. If the trip is during the PM rush hour, they may need Wheel-Trans for that trip.
Winter WT Service Only - Customer is able to take the TTC during the summer months. If it is during the winter, they may need Wheel-Trans for that trip.
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The TTC spokesperson estimated last year that approximately 11,000 Wheel-Trans users have yet to be re-assessed.