The following are the ACAT Subcommittees:

1. Administration Subcommittee   

The Executive works in close collaboration with TTC staff and/or their designate to ensure that ACAT functions effectively using TTC- mandated guidelines, procedures, and policies. The Administration Subcommittee members include the Chair of ACAT, two Vice Chairs of ACAT and/or their designate, working with staff from the Wheel-Trans and Service Planning Offices of the TTC.

The Administration Subcommittee is responsible to ACAT, TTC staff, and the TTC Board in the following areas:

  • Agenda Setting
  • Terms of Reference Review
  • Procedures Review
  • Orientation of New Members
  • Recruitment and Outreach
  • Public Events
  • Commission Meetings Review
  • Communications to the TTC Board from ACAT

TTC staff and the ACAT Executive will work to achieve consensus on all matters before the Administration Subcommittee.

2. Communications Subcommittee   

The ACAT Communications Subcommittee was initiated by staff in 1999 to generally review communications affecting accessibility and usage of TTC services by seniors and disabled persons, and to provide advice to ACAT and to staff on these aspects of communications.

The Communications Subcommittee is responsible for reviewing and making recommendations to ACAT on the following matters:

  • Marketing initiatives targeting disabled customers (newsletters, pamphlets, videos)
  • Standards for materials (size, colours, fonts, etc.) for the various  methods of informing customers of accessible services, service changes, emergencies, and  other service disruptions
  • TTC website accessibility

The tasks for the Communications Subcommittee include providing advice on the Wheel Trans newsletters and other communications/marketing/advertisements to all registrants of the to-the-door service, the regular updates of the Easier Access Brochure, and similar guides to the use of TTC accessible services.

As appropriate, members of the Communications Subcommittee may join members of the Design Review and/or the Service Planning Subcommittees in TTC media events and service promotions.

The TTC staff representative whom the Communications Subcommittee will work with will be from the Wheel-Trans Office.

3. Design Review   

The Design Review Subcommittee was one of the first subcommittees developed by staff to assist them and ACAT in the expedient assessment of accessible design standards and the appropriate application of those standards. The Design Review Subcommittee may consider functional and economic constraints, construction schedules, TTC Board and/or Council approval requirements, etc. when developing observations and recommendations for consideration of staff and ACAT.

The Design Review Subcommittee is responsible for reviewing and making recommendations to ACAT on:

  • Quality and quantity of current TTC conventional transit services
  • Design and operation of TTC facilities/features for disabled people
  • Accessible design standards (conventional conveyances and facilities)
  • Easier Access initiatives, priorities, policies, and operation of conventional accessible surface and subway services

As a reflection of the complexity and significance of design standards, and as a result of experience staff and ACAT gained working with architects, engineers, and other experts on accessible design standards for conveyances and facilities, ACAT determined that no matter will go from the Design Review Subcommittee to ACAT without staff first having had an opportunity for comment. Above and beyond the generalities of this, ACAT requires a specific process to be followed in all matters pertaining to standards.

In 1999, ACAT passed a motion that any Design Review Subcommittee recommendations to change TTC standards must meet with the approval of ACAT as a whole before the recommendations are forwarded for the consideration of staff first and then to the TTC Board, as staff and ACAT deem appropriate.

The tasks pertaining to assuring the quality and quantity of current TTC conventional transit services include those pertaining to the safe day-to-day operation of services and facilities and in emergency situations. This may involve participation emergency simulations, assisting emergency response organizations, and related activities as requested by TTC staff.

The TTC staff representative whom the Design Review Subcommittee will work with will be from the Service Planning Office.

4. Service Planning   

The Service Planning Subcommittee will provide staff and ACAT with advice on the integration of conventional and to-the-door accessible services in Toronto, accessible conventional public transportation services crossing the Toronto boundary, and planning and policy matters of a corporate nature including fares, funding, and other matters consistent with the TTC’s accessible planning exercises and the development of annual reports to the TTC Board and, through the TTC Board, to the City and other levels of government.

The Service Planning Subcommittee is responsible for reviewing and making recommendations to ACAT on the following areas:

  • TTC Accessible Transit Plan
  • Accessibility of planned new/expanded transit services (Transit City)
  • Cross-boundary conventional accessible transportation
  • Research/best practices in accessible transit
  • Integration of all TTC services Corporate issues and opportunities (fares, funding)
  • Annual Public Forum on TTC system accessibility

As requested, the Service Planning Subcommittee will provide advice, research or carry out other tasks on the integration of TTC conventional and to-the-door transit services including input on training (staff and customer), cost analysis, policy development, and transportation plans.

The duties pertaining to transportation analysis and planning includes input to the TTC’s annual accessibility plan, perhaps in conjunction with Design Review, and the plans and proposals of accessible public transportation services crossing the Toronto municipal boundary and either interfacing with TTC conventional transit services and facilities or having the potential to do so in the future. This may include public sector (Metrolinx, GO Transit, GTHA municipal transit systems, etc.) and private sector (inter-city bus, inter-city rail, etc.) initiatives.

As requested by TTC staff, and perhaps in conjunction with the Design Review Subcommittee, the Subcommittee may be required to assess proposals for the use of new technologies, systems, and operations to benefit accessible transit services in Toronto including the examination of best practices in Ontario and elsewhere.

The TTC staff representative whom the Service Planning Subcommittee will work with will be from the Service Planning Office. 

5. Wheel-Trans Operations   

The Wheel-Trans Operations Subcommittee was initiated in 2008 to provide advice on Wheel-Trans operational and service issues, including to-the-door services within Toronto, TTC Community Bus services, and the interface of the Wheel-Trans services and the to the-door services crossing the municipal boundary from adjacent jurisdictions.

The Wheel-Trans Operations Subcommittee is responsible for reviewing and making recommendations to ACAT on the following matters:

  • Quality and quantity of to-the-door services
  • Community Bus routes/service
  • Registration processes and procedures
  • Toronto and cross-boundary paratransit service
  • Cancellation/No-Show practices
  • Paratransit vehicle design
  • Wheel-Trans Scheduling/Reservations/Dispatch/Customer Service
  • Contracted taxi services and Wheel-Trans privatization

The TTC staff representative whom the Wheel-Trans Operations Subcommittee will work with will be from the Wheel-Trans Office.