Your guide to Wheel-Trans and the Family of Services

Last updated March 25, 2024

Acknowledgements

This guide is made possible through the generous support of The Law Foundation of Ontario. TTCriders thanks the Foundation for their backing of the Know Your Transit Rights initiative. The Law Foundation of Ontario has been advancing access to justice since 1974. Through granting and collaboration, the Foundation invests in knowledge and services that help people understand the law and use it to improve their lives. The Foundation also administers the Class Proceedings Fund, which provides cost assistance in class actions. Learn more at www.lawfoundation.on.ca.

Table of Contents

Click a heading to jump to that section

About this guide

Introduction: How is Wheel-Trans changing?

Eligibility Categories

Temporary eligibility

Unconditional eligibility

Conditional eligibility

“Family of Services” trips vs. Wheel-Trans trips

Is it mandatory to take a “Family of Services” trip?

List of Conditions for “Conditional Users”

Steps to apply or re-register for Wheel-Trans

Tips for applying or re-registering:

How to Appeal Your “Conditional” Eligibility Status

Tips for your appeal hearing:

Important resources

Take Action

About this Guide

This guide was created to provide useful tips for persons registering or re-registering for TTC Wheel-Trans services. The information below explains the changes coming to Wheel-Trans, the application process, and how to appeal a TTC eligibility decision. If you feel anxious or stressed about this process, you are not alone. This guide was prepared by ARCH Disability Law Centre and TTCRiders.

ARCH is a specialty legal clinic that practices exclusively in disability rights law. ARCH is dedicated to defending and advancing the equality rights, fundamental freedoms, and inclusion of persons with disabilities in Ontario. ARCH is primarily funded by Legal Aid Ontario. ARCH has successfully represented persons at Wheel-Trans appeals.

TTCriders is a public transit advocacy group building a grassroots movement of transit users with a vision for accessible, frequent and dignified public transit. TTCriders successfully advocated to the TTC to lengthen the Wheel-Trans eligibility category appeal window to 90 days instead of 30. TTCriders invites TTC and Wheel-Trans users to get involved in our campaigns for accessible transit. Together, we hope that this guide provides useful information about the changes coming to Wheel-Trans and how to navigate the eligibility process.

Introduction: How is Wheel-Trans Changing?

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) was passed in 2005 with the goal of removing barriers so that persons with disabilities have the same access to services and organizations as persons without disabilities. In 2017, the Ontario Government passed a transportation regulation, which states that conventional transportation (TTC buses, streetcars, and subways) must be accessible by 2025. As of September 2023 the TTC system is still not fully accessible: only 5 of 70 subway stations are fully accessible, and elevators can be frequently out of service, making delays or getting stranded likely.^[1] In September 2023, the TTC revealed that not all subway stations will be made fully accessible by 2025. Only 57 of 70 stations will be accessible by 2025.^[2] Additionally, increased off-peak crowding standards for buses and streetcars introduced in January 2023 plan average service levels for standing room only, which may not leave space for users in mobility devices. The regulation also created three different eligibility categories for specialized transportation under the AODA.

In implementing the new eligibility categories, the TTC created a new integrated model of transportation, called the Family of Services (FOS) Model. The FOS model combines both conventional TTC transportation and Wheel-Trans services per trip. This model will be described in further detail below.

Eligibility Categories

There are three different eligibility categories for specialized transportation under the AODA; these categories are Temporary, Conditional, and Unconditional. If you registered for Wheel-Trans after 2017, you have already been placed into one of these three eligibility categories.  If you registered for Wheel-Trans before 2017 the TTC will ask you to “re-register” and will place you in one of the three eligibility categories. If you have not yet received a letter asking you to re-register, you can expect to receive one before 2025. We are aware that TTC is planning to remove access t

o door-to-door services for up to 50% of users who were originally eligible for this service.^[3] After your Wheel-Trans eligibility is determined, you will be automatically eligible for the same level of service with any of the GTHA specialized transit service agencies.^[4]

Temporary Eligibility

You will have access to booking door-to-door service (one-ride trips in a Wheel-Trans vehicle or an accessible taxi) for a specific period of time. For example, if you had a knee replacement surgery and can no longer use conventional transportation, you would be given temporary eligibility, for a certain period of time, and then would have to reapply if you still require this service.

Unconditional Eligibility

You will have access to booking door-to-door service (one-ride trips in a Wheel-Trans vehicle or an accessible taxi). For example, you would be picked up  at your home, then dropped off directly at your destination by a Wheel-Trans vehicle or accessible taxi.  

Conditional Eligibility

You may have access to booking door-to-door service (one-ride trips in a Wheel-Trans vehicle or an accessible taxi), but only when your “conditions” are present. For example, if you cannot see in the dark, you may have “darkness” as a condition and be eligible to book a door-to-door Wheel-Trans trip when it is dark out. During daylight hours, you would not be eligible for a one-ride Wheel-Trans trip and you would need to book a FOS trip that may include a mix of conventional TTC and Wheel-Trans segments.

“Family of Services” Trips vs. Wheel-Trans Trips

The “Family of Services” model means that instead of a one-ride trip on a Wheel-Trans vehicle or contracted accessible taxi, your trip will involve a mix of specialized (Wheel-Trans) and conventional (TTC) transit. For example, you may be able to book a Wheel-Trans trip to an “Access Hub” (heated TTC transit shelters with automatic doors and seating, spacious enough for multiple mobility devices), an accessible subway station, or a bus or streetcar stop, then need to complete the rest of your trip on a conventional TTC bus, subway, or streetcar. Or, you may be required to take a conventional TTC bus for part of your trip, then get picked up and complete the rest of your trip on a Wheel-Trans vehicle.

Many Wheel-Trans users will not take FOS trips, because the multi-stop trips are longer, more dangerous, and less accessible. Not only is it often challenging, if not impossible, to board conventional transportation, the transfers between modes of transportation can be dangerous and pose a significant fall or injury risk.

“Family of Services” users may miss transit connections and become stranded if their bus, subway or streetcar is delayed, or if an elevator is out of service. If you are not at an “Access Hub” or TTC “transfer stop” on time, the TTC’s policy directs the Wheel-Trans driver to circle back 5 minutes later, then place a “no-show” sticker and leave. If someone on a Family of Services trip does not make it to their Wheel-Trans pick-up location in time due to delays on the conventional TTC, they could be left stranded and face service suspensions due to “no-show” penalties. Each “no-show” costs two “Life Happens Points”; every Wheel-Trans user has eight “Life Happens Points” per month. This is especially concerning considering that delays occur regularly on conventional TTC, yet such delays are not listed as an exception for “no-shows.”^[5] 

Below are two images comparing a door-to-door Wheel-Trans ride with a family of services ride for the same trip. The first image demonstrates that the door-to-door Wheel-Trans ride is shorter, and does not require multiple transfers. The second image demonstrates that a family of services ride requires multiple transfers, between different modes of transportation, leading to a longer journey.

Is it Mandatory to Take a “Family of Services” Trip?

As of March 2024, it is not yet mandatory for “conditional” Wheel-Trans users to use FOS trips. However, TTC staff have said that they would like to eventually make FOS trips mandatory for conditional users, when their conditions are not present. City Councillors on the TTC Board will make a decision about whether to make the “Family of Services” mandatory. Find out how you can take action to protect door-to-door Wheel-Trans service at the bottom of this guide!

List of Conditions for “Conditional Users”

This table shows how the TTC defines the different “conditions” that Wheel-Trans users are assigned.

Steps to Apply or Re-register for Wheel-Trans

You must fill out a Wheel-Trans Eligibility Application and submit it to the TTC.

1. Fill out the application form: Go to www.ttc.ca/wheeltrans or call 416-393-4111 to request a copy by mail. This form will ask you about your ability to travel a city block, get to and from your nearest transit stop or subway station, whether you can independently recognize where you are going, and are able to provide a fare for the trip. The form also allows you to provide additional information, regarding your ability to ride conventional transportation. Your healthcare provider will also have to fill out part of your application.

1. In addition to filling out the application form, it is helpful to get an additional letter from your healthcare provider. If a specialist could provide more insight into your disability, request a letter or appointment with the specialist. Ask your healthcare provider and/or specialist to expand on the information already provided in the application, explain how your disability prevents you from riding conventional transportation, and why it is unsafe for you.
2. If you have lived experience using the conventional TTC system and have taken the TTC’s “Travel Training,” share that in your application.

2. You may be asked to go for an in-person interview (Functional Assessment Test):  As part of the initial application the TTC may ask you to do an in-person interview with an occupational therapist called a “Functional Assessment Test”. An occupational therapist will ask you questions and may ask you to do physical tests in-person at a hospital, for example walking across a room to assess if you can use conventional transit. The assessment is done by a licensed occupational therapist, who has been trained to understand the eligibility criteria. Make sure to print your documents beforehand and bring them to the in-person assessment. You can bring one support person to the functional assessment with you. If you would like TTCriders to attend your functional assessment during the appeals process, call 416-309-9026 or email info@ttcriders.ca.

3. Wait for your Wheel-Trans eligibility category update: You will receive a letter advising you of the result of your application. This decision will outline what your eligibility category is and what it means.  If you are unsatisfied with your eligibility category you have 90 days to appeal it.  You may find that you learn about the change of your eligibility category via your online profile before you receive a letter notifying you.

How to Appeal Your “Conditional” Eligibility Status

You must submit your appeal within 90 days of receiving your Wheel-Trans eligibility letter. As of September 2023, the TTC limits the number of times you can appeal your status to once per calendar year. If you feel as though your situation has changed, for example your disabilities have become more severe, you should contact TTC to request another appeal or reassessment by email: WTEligibility@ttc.ca or by calling: 416-393-4111.

Steps to Appeal your Eligibility Category

1. Fill out the appeal form: You can access it online at https://www.ttc.ca//media/Project/TTC/DevProto/Documents/Home/Accessibility/Wheel_Trans_Eligibility_Appeal.pdf, by phone at 416-393-4111, or by email at WTEligibility@ttc.ca.  The appeal form will ask you what eligibility category you are appealing, and why you disagree with the decision. In the appeal form, you should explain in detail what your disabilities are and how they prevent you from riding conventional transportation. If you want to include more information than you can fit in the appeal form, you can attach a separate document to the appeal form.

1. Get new documentation from your healthcare provider(s) and collect more information (e.g. new note from a doctor or specialist): When sending in your appeal form, you can attach any supporting documents from your healthcare provider outlining why they disagree with the TTC’s decision. Ask your doctor to include information not just about your disability, but about how it affects your ability to get around and why it is unsafe for you to take conventional transit.

2. If you have not already had a Functional Assessment Test (in person interview), you will be asked to have one if you appeal your status:  Once you file this appeal form, you will be contacted by the TTC to go for an in-person interview called a “functional assessment.” An occupational therapist will ask you questions and may ask you to do physical tests in-person at a hospital, for example walking across a room to assess if you can use conventional transit. The assessment is done by a licensed occupational therapist, who has been trained to understand the eligibility criteria. Make sure to print your documents beforehand and bring them to the in-person assessment. You can bring one support person to the functional assessment with you. If you would like TTCriders to attend your functional assessment during the appeals process, call 416-309-9026 or email info@ttcriders.ca.

3. If you do not agree with the Functional Assessment Test results, continue with your appeals process:  Following the assessment, you will get a letter from the TTC, which will either confirm your status, or change the initial decision. You will not be able to see the details of the occupational therapist’s assessment.  If you still disagree with the TTC’s decision, you can then fill out an additional appeal form, which is the same as the initial appeal form, making clear that you disagree with the decision of the functional assessment. It is beneficial to explain what happened at the functional assessment test, especially if you felt that the assessment did not properly consider your disabilities and how they relate to riding conventional transportation.

4. Attend your appeal panel hearing: After you send the second appeal form to the TTC, you will receive a call from TTC to schedule an appeal hearing in front of 3 panel members. The panel members for each appeal, consists of 1) a member of the Advisory Committee on Accessible Transit; 2) a TTC employee; 3) a licensed Occupational Therapist that did not conduct your functional assessment. The panel will hear from the rider about their disabilities and why they cannot ride conventional transportation. The appeal lasts 30 minutes. You will not be provided with a decision on this date. A decision will be provided in writing by TTC within 2 weeks of the appeal.

Important resources

• Contact ARCH Disability Law Centre

• Telephone: 416-482-8255  (Tel. Toll-free: 1-866-482-2724 )  
• TTY: 416-482-1254  (TTY Toll-free: 1-866-482-2728)
• Fax: 416-482-2981 (Fax Toll-free: 1-866-881-2723)
• General inquiries email: general@arch.clcj.ca
• If you are seeking legal information from ARCH, and cannot contact us via telephone due to disability-related reasons, we can be contacted via email at intake@arch.clcj.ca . Please include both your first and last name when emailing ARCH for legal information.
• All persons with disabilities who reside in Ontario can access ARCH’s Summary Advice and Referral service for free. For any additional legal services beyond ARCH’s Summary Advice and Referral service, Legal Aid Ontario’s financial eligibility criteria applies.

• Contact TTCriders:

• Email: info@ttcriders.ca
• Phone: 416-309-9026

• Read the TTC guide to the Family of Services model
• Read the TTC’s Family of Services Conditional Travel Policy
• TTC’s “Travel Training” Program
• Read more about cuts to Wheel-Trans and the Family of Services model in TTCriders’ Wheel-Trans Report

Take Action

• Spread the word: share this guide with other Wheel-Trans users who may need it. Email info@ttcriders or call 416-309-9026 to request a printed copy.
• Get connected: You are not alone in this process - others are going through this and together we can take action. Get in touch with TTCriders to learn more about peer support through the application and appeals process.
• Contact your elected officials: The provincial government could provide dedicated transit operations funding so that Wheel-Trans can expand service to accommodate new users and uphold the true spirit of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (2005). Send a message to your MPP using TTCriders online petition: https://www.ttcriders.ca/wheeltranscuts

Appendix: Template letter to doctors / health care providers