TransLink’s interactive tools offer accessible learning of transit system

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — For some, it can be nerve-wracking trying to navigate a transit system, so after consultation with community groups, TransLink is out with digital tools to make getting to know the system a little easier.

With just a few clicks of a mouse, one can take a virtual tour of a bus, as well as see how to use a Compass Card, plan their trip, and learn how to ask for help while taking transit.

You can get to know @TransLink‘s system at your own pace and from the comfort of your PC or phone. The authority is out w/some videos & 3D tours of buses. Feedback was provided by a number of groups, like @autismbc & @SUCCESSCanada.

— Ria Renouf (@riarenouf) September 11, 2020

Organizations like SUCCESS Canada, Wavefront Centre, and AutismBC were part of the discussion behind the instructional videos offered by the transit authority. They are designed to help people who might not feel comfortable getting on transit alone, which could be people with a cognitive disability or people who are uncomfortable asking for transit help in English.

Jake Anthony is an ambassador for AutismBC and says, as a person on the spectrum, he’s excited for what these tools can offer.

He explains it’s helpful for people with autism to actually see what something looks like and what they’re going to be dealing with when it comes to planning a trip, getting on a bus, or going into a new environment.

“I know for myself, I like to know what an environment’s going to look like, so that that way I’m prepared when I come in, that, ‘Okay, this is what I’m going to see here, what I’m going to have to do here,’ so it just creates a feeling of, you know, a little more stable and a little more comfortable in a new environment,” Anthony says.

I spoke w/Brock Sheppard of @autismbc who says from the perspective of his group, many on the spectrum are visual learners and thinkers. “It can provide them w/a solid idea of what to expect when using the bus.”

— Ria Renouf (@riarenouf) September 11, 2020

Also with AutismBC, Brock Sheppard says he believes this will help people from all walks of life.

“It’s for all diverse abilities. It’s not just for people on the spectrum, for people who are new to the Lower Mainland, who are visiting the Lower Mainland, who maybe they’re coming from a different country, or maybe they want to know where the accessible seatings are, or maybe you want to know what the different safety recommendations are.”

Sheppard notes many people on the spectrum are visual learners and thinkers, so this will help foster expectations.

“And I know that that was something that I did a lot when I was working as a behaviour support worker in North Vancouver, was we used social stories to kind of frontload that experience, to make sure that you felt more secure, more confident and more safe for a successful trip.”

Videos are offered in English, with options for American Sign Language and described video, Cantonese, French, Mandarin and Punjabi.

“TransLink is committed to making transit as accessible as possible for everyone to use,” says CEO Kevin Desmond. “We want everyone to feel confident in their ability to use transit, including those on the autism spectrum. We’re always looking at creative ways to help our customers seamlessly travel throughout the region.”