The Monday Cam-burger: MISSION - 500 names on DATS petition by Friday (PLEASE CLICK ON THE HEADLINE FOR MORE!!)

We started a petition against the City of Edmonton Friday, asking them to stop a new policy for the Disabled Adult Transportation System starting Sept. 1. DATS is asking users to cancel their rides two hours before their scheduled pick up. The cancelation policy, as it stands now, is 30-minutes.

As a DATS user (I have cerebral palsy and use a wheelchair) I feel this takes independence and dignity away. I have been disabled my entire life and I feel the new two-hour policy could very well limit what I can and can’t do. I wonder, too, how people who are newly disabled and now use DATS. They need all the re-enforcements and positive policies to help them adjust to their new lifestyles to be contributing community members. I have to seriously wonder what the two-hour policy could do to their incentive.

The other thing concerning me is the lack of consultation DATS had with the users and why they would rely on research from Dallas and Seattle — not much snow there, folks — and enforce the a two-hour policy in Edmonton.

Let’s aim for 500 names by Friday to give the petition a boost. If we can make that statement we can go to the City of Edmonton. And you never know what could happen from there?

Please join our journey by signing here. 

KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING BY CLICKING HERE

A petition against lack of communication with people with disabilities — revised Friday at 5:15 p.m.

We’ve started a petition today against the Disabled Adult Transportation System on their new policy, set to roll into gear Sept. 1. DATS is changing their cancellation policy from 30 minutes to two hours without any consultation with their users. We petitioning the policy — and the lack of communication DATS had with their users: they only shared the news in the DATS newsletter — after the policy was changed.

We’ve seen this lack of consultation rodeo before. In June, Alberta Health Services made wide sweeping changes to home care without — you guessed it — any consultation. In fact, (I know from personal experience as I am a home care user) when existing home care programs were asked to submit proposals, we were told if we called our MLA or the media our proposal could very well be disqualified. Why does the word bullying comes to mind?

Perhaps we’re seeing a trend. I think we need to make a statement and encourage all levels of government to have better consultation with people with disabilities before making significant changes. But, first things first: the DATS policy. If we get enough signatures by Aug. 1 on the lack of consultation with users on the new DATS cancellation policy we will deliver the petition to Edmonton City Council. One never knows: maybe City Council will reverse DATS cancellation policy. After all, we will have talked to people to get their input. 

CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION

CLICK HERE TO KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING