HandyDART Riders' Alliance

Please consider writing, calling or speaking in support of the motion Keeping HandyDART Accessible to People Living with Disabilities, which will be discussed at the Tuesday June 8 Vancouver City Council meeting.

TransLink is proposing an invasive and adversarial interview process to refuse service to some applicants, instead of expanding service to meet demand. The outcome of the new registration process could be a decision that an applicant is not eligible for HandyDART, rather than further assistance for those who need it. At first, this will only apply to new riders. But if this new system is put in place it will likely be applied to existing HandyDART riders later.

TransLink states that the process “would be similar to the current registration process in communities served by BC Transit.” BC Transit’s interview processes are primarily about denying service to reduce costs, and they have contracted much of the work out to massive medical companies.

TransLink is doing consultation on what they call the “HandyDART Modernization Program.” TransLink’s proposal is that their ‘medical professionals’ could deny access to HandyDART after an interview.

The intention of this invasive interview process is to refuse service to some applicants, instead of expanding service to meet demand. (They are also proposing other changes like accepting Compass Cards that could be OK.)

The outcome of the new registration process could be a decision that an applicant is not eligible for HandyDART. At first, this will only apply to new riders. But if this new system is put in place it will likely be applied to existing HandyDART riders later.

[This is the joint media release agreed to by TransLink and the HandyDART Riders’ Alliance. More info coming soon.]

March 22, 2019

NEW WESTMINSTER – TransLink and the HandyDART Riders’ Alliance today announced a joint settlement in a Human Rights Tribunal case regarding HandyDART services.

As part of the Settlement Agreement, TransLink will:

• Produce an annual stand-alone public report on HandyDART service performance;
• Provide funding to the Social Planning and Research Council to conduct research on the experience of HandyDART customers; and,
• Seek Board approval to create a HandyDART Users Group.

The Human Rights Tribunal case was originally filed in 2017 and was related to the provision of public transit to people with mental and physical disabilities.

The lack of funding for desperately needed improvements to HandyDART service was in the news again, this time in the Vancouver Sun:

“Beth McKellar, co-chair of the HandyDART Riders Alliance called the lack of specific funding for HandyDART in Metro Vancouver “very, very disappointing” because the service is in demand.

“There are people who want to sign up for HandyDART every day because they need it,” she said.

Read the full article at https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/b-c-budget-2019-discounted-transit-fares-handydart-funding-absent

Today, the Metro Vancouver Alliance sent this letter to the TransLink Board. It is great to have so many allies from diverse groups! Download a PDF of the letter here!

Re: Custom Transit Services Procurement

To the TransLink Board:

I am writing to you on behalf of the Metro Vancouver Alliance. We are a broad-based alliance of faith, labour, academic, and community organizations across the Lower Mainland. Continue reading →