Leaders on Wheels test accessibility of the REM
by Rose Sondola
When the Leaders on Wheels decided to check out the accessibility of the REM on August 31, it turned out to be quite an adventure!
Leaders on Wheels is a group of students who attend the Mackay Centre School’s satellite class at Westmount High School. As part of the satellite class mission statement, students take trips into the community whenever possible, with the aim of familiarizing them with the city of Montreal and enabling them to become comfortable with taking the Metro. This empowers our students and gives them a sense of independence and freedom.
When faced with accessibility challenges, we learn to quickly adapt and find solutions. Parents love this aspect of our program because it familiarizes our students with real-life scenarios.
While Marie-Claude Landry, manager of customer service for the REM, was waiting to give us a VIP tour, we were down in the Bonaventure Metro Station across the street. While this station does indeed have an elevator, which was running (we always check the website before leaving), it does not take us up to street level, only to the turnstiles. We then must take the elevator in 1000 de la Gauchetière, which is linked to the Metro station. There, this elevator was not working! So, we had to get back on the Metro and go to the next station with a working elevator at Place-d’Armes, and walk back to Gare Centrale, where we met Marie-Claude and had our much-anticipat- ed c
A group of students who attend the Mackay Centre School’s satellite class at Westmount High School take a ride on the new REM, testing its accessibility. Photo courtesy of Mackay Centre School
We wrote a letter of complaint to the STM saying that it was misleading to advertise that the Bonaventure Metro station has an elevator without stipulating that the elevator does not get you to the street level.
The REM is fully accessible with roomy elevators, and thankfully they were all working the day we rode it!
During our VIP tour, we sat by the window of the smooth, quiet train. There were no issues getting on or off the train as the entrance was completely flush with the floor, and our students have become adept at manoeuvering their power chairs in tight places.
We had a blast!
