Dozens of Winnipeggers who have disabilities have been stuck waiting for accommodations that support their accessible Transit Plus rides, a backlog advocates link to city staff departures.
More than 100 people were waiting for accommodation assessments at the peak of the backlog, which ensure their accessible rides meet their individual needs, said Patrick Stewart, a consultant with the Independent Living Resource Centre.
Stewart said some Transit Plus riders reported waiting six months for an assessment.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES
Several Winnipeggers with disabilities are stuck waiting for accommodations to ensure their accessible Transit Plus rides meet their individual needs, a backlog advocates link to city staff departures.
“Assessment is everything. It determines who has access to the service, who is eligible and how it meets their needs as they change over time,” he said.
Stewart said several occupational therapists who work for the city and handle accommodation assessments left their positions, which led the city to contract out the work.
Accommodations are requested to help a rider continue using Transit Plus, which can range from the type of vehicle provided (such as requesting a larger one for a person who lacks the ability to get into a smaller one) or ensuring a vehicle can accommodate various mobility aids, he said.
While he declined to offer some details due to privacy concerns, Stewart said one rider told him they required physical therapy after an accommodation was not met.
“This is something that does need an investigation. There are other bodies outside of city hall this can be taken to… if the city doesn’t have the capacity to do so,” he said.
The lengthy assessment backlog could force some riders to stay home, said Melissa Graham, executive director of the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities.
“When people experience pain when using Transit Plus vehicles of a type that doesn’t work for them, at a certain point they’re going to stop using Transit Plus and maybe stop leaving their homes because they don’t have a means of transportation in the city that works for them,” said Graham.
Both Graham and Stewart said they’re concerned that contracting out positions will give the city less control over the service it provides, including its ability to ensure equal access to public transportation.
“The question of whether or not the human rights code is being followed is now the concern of a contractor,” said Stewart.
Coun. Cindy Gilroy said she was also told staff departures and accommodation concerns are linked.
“Ethically, they have to take care of their client… Staff (members are) really struggling with that and it has created an exodus, from my understanding, and now we are… outsourcing that work,” said Gilroy (Daniel McIntyre).
Winnipeg Transit confirmed five occupational therapists left their city jobs over the past year though officials did not provide reasons for the departures, noting concerns over sharing human resource information.
“We pivoted very quickly to contracted services to ensure that we had coverage and were addressing the assessments that were required for our customers,” said Teresa Platt, Winnipeg Transit’s manager of client services.
The city now has four contracted assessors, including occupational therapists and physiotherapists. One temporary occupational therapist is on staff as well, after returning to their former position to help reduce the wait, Transit said.
“We’re working through the backlog and… it’s significantly less than where it started,” said Platt, estimating about 25 requests are waiting to be addressed.
Most transit systems now contract out this service, which does allow for a third-party, and perhaps more neutral, view of the work, she said.
Platt said Transit Plus is reviewing its eligibility criteria, a process that will help determine whether the jobs should fall to city staff or private contractors in future.
“This is a new process and (it) requires a bit of time to put that together, as well as work with our legal team to ensure that the human right of accommodations is met,” she said.
On Wednesday, council’s executive policy committee ordered an update on the upcoming Transit Plus changes and directed the city’s interim chief administrative officer to separately explore the concerns.
“The goal is to make sure that people have access to Transit Plus when they need it,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham.
The mayor said he did not have details about staffing concerns and did not immediately know whether contracting out more Transit Plus staff would save the city money.
“The focus is good customer service, whether that’s provided by city staff (or) third-party staff,” said Gillingham.
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Joyanne Pursaga
Reporter
Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne.
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