It has been brought to our attention that a case has been filed with the Human Rights Commission regarding the fact that the City of Edmonton has a program to subsidize Edmonton Transit System (ETS) bus passes for AISH (Assured Income for the Severely Disabled) recipients called the Edmonton Transit AISH Transit Pass Program, while there is no program to subside the ETS Disabled Adult Transit Service (DATS) for AISH recipients. Persons with disabilities use DATS when their disability prevents them from using the regular ETS service.

The City of Edmonton instituted the Edmonton Transit AISH Transit Pass Program “to encourage persons with disabilities, who are able, to try the regular transit system with its many accessible features.”

As of March, 2010, the Edmonton Transit AISH Transit Pass will be $32.00 a month. An AISH recipient who needs to use DATS will have to pay $81.50 for a monthly pass.

If you are an AISH recipient using DATS in Edmonton you are eligible to file a similar complaint with the Alberta Human Rights Commission. You can get more information about the complaint process at the website http://www.albertahumanrights.ab.ca/. Please remember that only people who are affected can file a complaint.

Contact the Alberta Human Rights Commission for application forms:

Northern Regional Office
800 Standard Life Centre
10405 Jasper Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta T5J 4R7
Confidential Inquiry Line 780-427-7661
Fax 780-427-6013