Accessibility related barriers to travel among persons with disabilities or long-term conditions - Video transcript
From January 2022 to February 2025, more than half (52%) of persons with disabilities or long-term conditions took an out-of-town trip that included travel by airplane, train, bus or ferry. Among this group, 4 in 10 people (40%) experienced at least one type of barrier at the airport, train station, bus terminal or ferry terminal because of their condition. Furthermore, 34% of travellers with disabilities or long-term conditions experienced at least one type of barrier because of their condition while inside the airplane, train, bus or ferry.
Barriers to accessibility can hinder Canadians' ability to travel and may include barriers to physical accessibility, such as narrow hallways, as well as barriers to communication, such as unclear instructions.
The findings presented in this release are based on results from the Survey Series on Accessibility – Experiences with Accessibility and Travel, which provides a snapshot of the experiences persons with disabilities or long-term conditions have while navigating barriers to accessibility while travelling by airplane, train, bus or ferry.
In 2019, Canada passed the Accessible Canada Act, which has the stated purpose of making Canada barrier-free by 2040 across seven different priority areas, including transportation. Statistics Canada is pleased to release this new information during National AccessAbility Week, a time to promote accessibility and inclusion across communities and workplaces.
Persons with disabilities or long-term conditions are more likely to travel if they have less difficulty with their daily activities
Among the 52% of persons with disabilities or long-term conditions who took an out-of-town trip from January 2022 to February 2025, the most common mode of transportation was airplane (76%), followed by bus (18%), train (15%) and ferry (15%).
Men and women with disabilities or long-term conditions were equally likely to take a trip out of their town. However, among those who reported having less difficulty with their daily activities, 57% took a trip, compared with 45% of those who had greater difficulty with their daily activities. In addition, persons with disabilities or long-term conditions aged 18 to 54 years were more likely to take a trip (64%) than those aged 55 years and older (42%).
Persons with disabilities or long-term conditions who have greater difficulty with their daily activities are more likely to face barriers while travelling
From January 2022 to February 2025, among travellers with disabilities or long-term conditions who reported having greater difficulty with their daily activities, more than half (53%) experienced at least one type of barrier at the airport, train station, bus terminal or ferry terminal because of their condition. By comparison, this proportion was 33% for those who had less difficulty with their daily activities (Chart 1). Similarly, 50% of those who had greater difficulty with their daily activities experienced at least one barrier while inside the airplane, train, bus or ferry, compared with 26% of those who had less difficulty with their daily activities.
The survey also collected information on the types of barriers persons with disabilities or long-term conditions encountered while travelling. Among those who reported facing at least one barrier on-site or inside the airport, train station, bus terminal or ferry terminal, 75% experienced some type of challenge with features in the physical environment, 43% with on-site technology features and 37% with communication.
The most frequently reported barrier related to the physical environment was having issues with the floor plan (32%). The most common on-site technology barriers included difficulty with navigating screens, entering information or printing tickets from self-serve kiosks (30%). Meanwhile, the most common barrier to communication was receiving unclear instructions by customer service, gate or security personnel (20%).
Among people who reported facing at least one barrier or challenge while inside the airplane, train, bus or ferry, 79% reported experiencing some type of difficulty with the physical environment, 36% with on-site technology and 31% with communication. The most common specific challenge related to the physical environment was difficulty with furniture or fixtures (43%). Difficulty with the onboard entertainment system and wireless or Wi-Fi connection (20%) was the most frequently reported on-site technology barrier. The most common barrier related to communication was unclear instructions (19%).
More than 4 in 10 travellers with disabilities or long-term conditions have access to all the support services or accommodations they need
More than half (52%) of travellers with disabilities or long-term conditions reported needing support services or accommodations during their out-of-town travel from January 2022 to February 2025. Of them, more than 4 in 10 (42%) had access to all support services or accommodations, 18% had access to some and 8% did not have access to any. Another 32% of travellers with disabilities or long-term conditions said that they did not know such services or accommodations were available.
Travellers who had access to some services or accommodations they needed or who did not have access to any were asked about the reasons why they were not fully accommodated (more than one reason could be given). While several (40%) attributed it to not having made an accommodation request, 44% reported not knowing how to request access and 29% mentioned that they did not know what they needed in advance. In addition, 24% said that the process was not explained to them, and 8% stated that their request was refused by the service provider.
Almost one in four persons with disabilities or long-term conditions who consider taking a trip are discouraged from doing so due to accessibility concerns
To assess unmet transportation needs, respondents were asked whether there had been a time from January 2022 to February 2025 when they were discouraged or prevented from taking an out-of-town trip due to possible accessibility concerns because of their condition.
Among those who had considered taking a trip, 29% reported possible accessibility barriers discouraging or preventing them from doing so. This proportion was higher among people who had greater difficulty with their daily activities (46%) compared with those who had less difficulty with their daily activities (19%).
Note to readers
This release is based on data from the Survey Series on Accessibility – Experiences with Accessibility and Travel (SSA-EAT), collected from January 13 to February 16, 2025. The SSA is a series of three social surveys that highlight the lived experiences of diverse groups of people. The survey was developed in collaboration with Employment and Social Development Canada to fill data gaps related to the experiences of Canadians whose everyday activities are limited due to a long-term condition of disability. This panel focuses on people's experiences navigating accessibility related to transportation while travelling.
The target population for the SSA includes people who were aged 15 years and older as of May 11, 2021 (Census Day), living in the provinces and territories of Canada, who reported having a difficulty or long-term condition on the 2021 Census long-form questionnaire.
Participants in the SSA – EAT were identified as having a disability through their participation in the 2022 Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD), and some participants continued to be considered to have a disability in a similar manner in 2025 as they did in 2022. For the SSA – EAT, respondents were asked about any long-term health conditions or difficulties they had with seeing; hearing; walking, using stairs, using their hands or fingers, or doing other physical activities; learning, remembering or concentrating; any emotional, psychological or mental health condition; or any other health problem or long-term condition. Only conditions that have lasted or are expected to last six months or more were included.
The SSA is a sample survey with a cross-sectional design. It is based on a probability panel consisting of individuals who agreed to participate in further studies when they responded to the 2022 CSD. As a result of this methodology, it has a low cumulative response rate, which increases the risk of bias. All estimates in this release should therefore be used with caution. For methodological details see Survey and statistical programs – Survey Series on Accessibility.
All differences mentioned in this release are statistically significant (p < 0.05). Estimates in this release exclude any non-response cases. The inclusion or exclusion of these cases depends on the objective of the analysis. Future products may take different approaches.
In this release, the term "Canadians" refers to residents of Canada, regardless of citizenship status.
Definitions
Out-of-town trips included travel by airplane, train, bus or ferry from January 2022 to February 2025. These trips must have started or ended in Canada and could have been for visiting friends or relatives, leisure, holiday, personal or business reasons. Trips taken only by car, truck or van as a driver or passenger were excluded.
Respondents were broken down into two categories based on their difficulties with daily activities:
Persons who have greater difficulty with daily activities describes persons who answered that they had "a lot of difficulty" or they "cannot do most activities" when asked how much difficulty they have with daily activities because of their conditions.
Persons who have less difficulty with daily activities describes persons who answered that they had "some difficulty" or "no difficulty" when asked how much difficulty they have with daily activities because of their conditions.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).