The TTC and its Advisory Committee on Accessible Transportation (ACAT) want to hear from you on how to improve access to the TTC for people with disabilities.

The annual Public Forum on Accessible Transit takes place Thursday, September 15 from 6 until 9 p.m. in the Allstream Centre, 105 Princes’ Boulevard, in Exhibition Place. TTC commissioners and staff and ACAT members will attend to hear from you about the accessibility of conventional TTC and door-to-door Wheel-Trans public transit services in Toronto. Let them know how they can make the TTC system accessible for everyone.

At the event, the TTC says, you’ll also hear about Wheel-Trans’ 10-year strategy to:

• “offer passengers spontaneity of travel
• be inclusive and a part of the community
• help ensure and foster dignity
• expand… [passengers]’ travel opportunities
• improve customer service.”

This strategy also addresses new legislative requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and recommendations from the City of Toronto’s auditor general.

The TTC is dedicating the first hour of the event, from 6 until 7 p.m., to let you speak one-on-one with TTC staff and ACAT members.

The open public forum starts at 7 p.m. and continues until 9 p.m. During this part of the meeting, you can discuss previous public forum concerns and how the TTC has addressed them. Staff will also review new service initiatives and provide you an opportunity to let the TTC know about your concerns or suggestions for improving accessible transit.

To help you get to and from the event, the TTC is operating an accessible shuttle bus from Bathurst Station, starting at 5 p.m. Buses return to Bathurst Station, starting at 9 p.m. You can also ride regular accessible streetcars along the 509 Harbourfront line (not all cars may be accessible). Due to construction, you’ll have to exit the cars on Fleet Street about three blocks from the Allstream Centre.

Wheel-Trans passengers may also book trips to the public forum. Staff will organize all return trips after the event finishes at 9 p.m. and will not schedule in advance.

The TTC is arranging for American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters, captioning and attendants to be available for the meeting.

If you can’t attend, but would like to suggest ways to improve the TTC regular and Wheel-Trans services, call 416-393-3030 (TTY [teletypewriter] 416-338-0357) daily except for statutory holidays, from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. The TTC is also live-streaming the forum will be streamed live at http://www.meetview.com/TTC20160915/. (You don’t have to pre-register to view or listen to the live stream.)

Whether you attend or not, you can also follow what happens at the event on Twitter, using the hashtag #TTCAccess.