Transit Strike Limits Disabled Persons

HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION--Transit Strike Limits Disabled Persons

• --------------------------------------------------------------- The Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission is urging both sides in the Metro Transit strike in Halifax Regional Municipality to remain aware of the needs of persons with disabilities and hopes there will be a speedy end to the labour dispute.

"With Access-A-Bus services limited to patients attending their kidney dialysis appointments, persons with disabilities are severely limited with respect to ordinary day to day activities," said director and CEO David Shannon.

"The commission is aware that there are not enough wheelchair accessible taxi cabs in HRM to support the disability community even when Access-A-Bus is operating at normal capacity, and Halifax lags behind the remainder of Canadian metropolitan centres regarding accessible transit. The commission would like to see this issue receive more consideration."