White Pass & Yukon Route
Accessibility Plan
June 2024
Table of Contents
Click a chapter or scroll down the page.
1. GENERAL
6. Procurement of Goods, Services and Facilities
8. Transportation
9. Consultations
11. Conclusion
1. General
Statement of Commitment
Plan Development
In the development of our Accessibility Plan we conducted a comprehensive review of our operations to identify existing barriers and potential actions that could overcome and/or mitigate challenges during the term of the plan (2023-2025). Following the Principles of Accessibility as outlined in the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) and our obligations under the Accessible Transportation Planning and Reporting Regulations (ATPRR), our Accessibility Plan is designed to increase our understanding of barriers to accessibility and deliver a three-year path to bettering accessibility in all our operations. By committing to continuous improvement, we will produce annual reports every year of the cycle of this plan to provide direction and illustrate both progress and areas of need.
We worked with community partners throughout our corridor representing people with disabilities to aid in the development of this initial Accessibility Plan. We will continue that collaboration in concert with the ongoing work with our employees and continuing guest outreach to implement, improve, and refine this effort.
Contact
WP&YR welcomes input and feedback pertaining to our Accessibility Plan. Feedback can be shared with WP&YR Executive Director through the following channels:
Alternative Formats
The Accessibility Plan can be made available in the following alternative formats:
- Large Print (Increased Font Size)
- Braille
- Audio
- Electronic formats that are compatible with adaptive technology
Anonymous Feedback
Feedback to this accessibility plan may be provided anonymously to the address below. Anonymous feedback will be acknowledged and responded to in the same manner as non-anonymous feedback.
2. Employment
WP&YR is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for applicants and employees regardless of sex (including pregnancy), race, color religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, or a change in marital status, parenthood, physical or mental disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, and citizenship. The Company recognizes the benefits of a diverse workforce and strives to employ individuals from varied backgrounds and skillsets.
The Company strives to provide a welcoming workplace for all employees and attempts to meet their needs so they can successfully complete their work tasks. The Company does this by having open and honest communication with employees and asks for feedback on any challenges they are experiencing or see in other areas of the workplace.
3. Built Environment
Accessibility Goals
- We will through guest, employee, and stakeholder engagement develop standards that guide the development of new and refurbished buildings, work areas, and rail equipment.
- We will review the emergency response plans to ensure that accessibility needs are met during an emergency.
4. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
Accessibility Goals
- We will analyze our communications to address shortcomings in our system that create barriers to accessible communications. We will then develop plans and implementation procedures to address these issues.
- We will perform an accessibility audit of our website to ensure that it meets accessibility standards, including Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Level AA conformance.
- We will communicate our commitment to accessibility and support for people with disabilities and will work to make navigating that information easier.
- We will pursue enhanced technology for more audio and visual opportunities to convey this information more effectively throughout our system.
5. Communication, Other than ICT
Accessibility Goals
- We will review reservation agent training and communication to ensure accessibility standards are upheld.
- We will institute regular audits to both the employee and guest experiences, to identify both areas of improvement as well as opportunities to refine the Accessibility Plan.
- We will audit our on-board passenger communications materials to identify potential barriers to accessibility.
6. Procurement of Goods, Services and Facilities
Accessibility Goals
- A significant portion of our procurement, such as steel and fuel, do not have an accessibility consideration. We will ensure that accessibility is considered in the initial stages of relevant procurement of goods and services.
7. Design and Delivery of Programs and Services
Accessibility Goals
- Through consultation with community partners as well as people and organizations that represent a broad range of disabilities, we will harness a diverse knowledge base that will enhance the accessibility of our operations.
- We will audit related training programs for all employees to quickly address any potential gaps in the program.
- We will have a system and timing of review and redesign for our training courses to make sure that our staff can provide the necessary service to our guests.
8. Transportation
As part of our initial review, we identified the following areas that will require further consideration and planning to remediate as part of our compliance with CTA accessibility-related regulations:
- We will analyze our trains and facilities for boarding, disembarking, and onboard movement to address barriers to access.
9. Consultations
Consultation is critical to achieving our goal of identifying and removing barriers. Through this interaction with employees, guests, and community partners we can better understand and remove the barriers they experience..
Employees
We have established a welcoming and inclusive working environment for our employees. Through regular meetings, and feedback we can become aware and meet the needs of our workforce. With the help of these meetings, briefings, and anonymous suggestion boxes we have a diverse sampling from our staff to both submit their concerns and help us to improve.
Guests
We interact directly with our guests through conversations, survey cards, and our frontline service staff with both telephonic and electronic correspondence. By sharing and reviewing their experiences we are able to recognize their needs and make the appropriate improvements to enhance accessibility and the overall guest experience at the WP&YR.
Community Partners
We will continue to work with community partners representing people with disabilities to identify barriers and prioritize projects to address those barriers. To date, WP&YR has held consultation with the following partners and their feedback has been incorporated into this document:
- Canadian Border Services Agency
- Yukon Health & Social Services
- Tourism Association of the Yukon
- Yukon Tourism and Culture
10. Provisions of the CTA Accessibility Related Regulations
As part of our initial review, we identified the following areas that will require further consideration and planning to remediate as part of our compliance with CTA accessibility-related regulations.
Train Lifts
We have identified that our current lift systems only support a capacity of 272kg. This is below the current 363kg standard required by the CTA. When possible we will increase the capacity of these lifts.
Communication in Braille
We have identified that certain cars do not have the proper signage/markings for braille. We are addressing this in two ways. First through enhanced auditory communication from our train agents and second by installing the appropriate markings and locations for braille use. Safety information is also communicated by train agents at the beginning of every tour.
Lift Cars
We are seeking to increase the total number of cars equipped with lifts in our fleet to increase accessibility.
11. Conclusion
WP&YR is committed to improving accessibility across the entirety of our enterprise. We continue to learn and develop our Accessibility Plan through consultation, continuing improvement, and feedback. Through this process we will bring about the change that will make WP&YR both accessible and better for all those who work, ride, and visit our historic railway.
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