ETS Receives National Award for Accessibility Campaign With CNIB
On November 5 at the Canadian Urban Transit Association Awards ceremony in Montreal, Edmonton Transit Service became the first recipient of the Lorna Stewart Corporate Leadership Award for our work with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) on our Get on Board campaign.
This award is named for former ETS employee Lorna Stewart, who was a trailblazer for accessible transit systems in both Edmonton and Vancouver. In her leadership position with Dedicated Accessible Transit Service (DATS), she placed accessibility at the forefront of service planning, and while in Community Relations, she promoted inclusivity across all modes of transit. She demonstrated an unparalleled commitment to inclusive transportation that enabled all riders to travel with independence and dignity.
This award recognizes the exceptional efforts of transit agencies, paratransit systems and businesses that have gone above and beyond to dismantle barriers in transit and provide inclusive, accessible transit services.
The Get On Board campaign aimed to understand and remove barriers for riders who are blind, deafblind or with low vision. ETS developed an accessibility action plan that led to improvements for riders who are blind, deafblind or have low vision, including better LRT audio announcements, high-contrast curbs and benches, clearer bus signage and more visible emergency strips. Leadership at our ETS branch also completed disability awareness training to strengthen awareness and understanding.
ETS also launched a Rider Respect campaign to promote awareness about visible and invisible disabilities.
ETS is proud to champion kindness and respect for all riders to increase accessibility across our transit system. Read more about the award and about Lorna Stewart.
