Groundwork Magazine

A few hundred people clamour from the two doors leading into the cramped, stuffy room. A couple dozen cameras line the back, with eager journalists ready to record every word.  It’s September 22, the day of the mayoral debate on disability issues.

 

John Tory doesn’t know the outcome yet, but the proposals he makes today will help carry him to an election victory. During the debate, Tory presented a laundry list of changes he thinks would be best for the disability community. However, some, like debate attendee Maria Sumner says he’s not on track with some of these promises.

 

“I don’t think the candidates realize what a big deal this debate is, how important these things are to us,” she said. “ Tory is starting to talk about the right things, but he doesn’t know how urgent some things, like TTC are.”

 

According to Helen Henderson, who moderated the debate, one in seven people over the age of 15 in Toronto identify as having a disability in this city. For the disability community, TTC accessibility is one of the biggest issues they face every day.  Tory aims to change that.

 

“(The city is) not as accessible as it needs to be. It’s not as accessible as the law says it should be,” Tory said. “ [We set] policies, pass laws, and then don’t actually do the work until it’s the last minute.”

 

Tory believes these problems can be fixed with his SmartTrack program, a 22 station above ground rail service which he says would be accessible for people with disabilities from day one. However, the SmartTrack program would still be seven years away, something Sumner feels is too far away for the already struggling- and aging- community.

 

“Trying to get around in this city is ridiculous. Even the WheelTrans, I wait hours for them to come even when I’ve booked them,” she said. “Not to mention that there will be more problems with.”

 

David Lepofsky, the Chair for the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance says that it’s not going to get any better any time soon, either.

 

“TTC right now is not accessible, and does not plan to become fully accessibly by the legal deadline the province set, which is 2025,” Lepofsky said. “All stations were supposed to be accessible by that date. It’s getting more clear that’s not going to happen.”

 

Lepofsky believes that the TTC issues might not be so bad if there were more options for people with disabilities. For his organization, the answer is in accessible cabs, something with received no mention at the debate.

 

“The city licenses the cabs right now, but not enough are accessible,” Lepofsky said. “Some people have to wait hours in order to get an accessible cab. Between that and TTC…”

 

Lepofsky believes the answer to this lies in grandfathering out old taxis in favour of accessible ones. This would mean that every taxi that applies for a new license would have to be accessible.

 

“When a new cab driver goes and applies for a license, we believe they should have to be accessible for all Torontonians,” he added. “Not just some people.”

 

Some in the community have suggested that the solution for this may have something to do with unofficial Taxi services like Uuber, who they say may find ground with making taxis more accessible.

 

However, not all in the disabilities community are on board with accessible taxies being the next big issue to tackle. Some in the community believe Tory should focus more on accessible housing; something the new mayor spoke passionately about.

 

“There is no reason… that when we’re repairing buildings that have fallen into disrepair, that we can’t make sure a targeted percentage are accessible,” Tory said. “We need to measure progress in shorter time frames. What we have now is a halting progress.”

 

Tory plans to do this by asking both the provincial and federal governments with assistance in repairing old public housing. He also added he believes there should be more accessibility to these resources for people with mental health issues. Sumners thinks this may be a step in the right direction.

 

“I don’t agree with everything he has to say, but he’s right in saying that there isn’t enough right now,” she said. “ There are a lot of issues that need to be addressed, but at least [Tory] is talking about the right things. We’ll just have to wait and see!”

For Tory, it is clear that the three biggest issues he wants to tackle are TTC accessibility and upgrading public housing. With the new council coming together for the first time soon, Summers is right that it’s all a game of waiting for change.