‘How can this keep happening?’: Woman says BC Ferries not making space for wheelchair users in vehicles

TSAWWASSEN (NEWS 1130) — A woman wants BC Ferries to change its loading policy, after she says her mother — who uses a wheelchair — was stuck in her van for an entire sailing Wednesday.

Jennifer Ley says this is not the first time her mom has been essentially trapped in her vehicle because it’s been crammed in too close to other cars, or boxed in by walls or parking posts.

“Basically she was put in a position where she couldn’t get out of the vehicle. This has happened multiple times,” Ley tells NEWS 1130.

“When you have long ferry sailings and long lineups that can lead to basically several hours without being able to go to the washroom, which is not ideal and also feels a little punitive for people in chairs.”

Oh hey @BCFerries thanks for yet again trapping my mother and her wheelchair in her vehicle without washroom access for the sailing. @globalnews @GlobalBC I guess it’s ok to stay in your vehicle if BC ferries needs you to. #disabilityrights #inclusivity #Trapped

— Jennifer (@_jenniferlouise) August 18, 2021

In the latest instance, Ley’s mom was on the 3 p.m. sailing from Tsawwassen to Nanaimo — a trip that lasts about two hours.

“My original reaction was, ‘How can this keep happening?'”

Ley’s mom gets in and out of her van by using a side-door ramp, anything too close to that side of the vehicle means the ramp can’t fold out properly.

“Really, there’s not much you can do once the sailing has taken off, the cars are parked, there’s no way to move the vehicles once they’re on.”

‘It’s not just an issue for this sailing and my mom’

After Ley posted to social media about her mother’s experience, she says she received a response from BC Ferries. Ley says she was offered an apology, and was told that during peak hours they try to park cars in close proximity to maximize space, and that crews “do their best” to accommodate customers.

“I just thought it was insufficient. I mean, they asked us to give feedback direct which is fine and we’ll do that and I appreciate that. It seems like more of a systemic issue, I was just wondering if a new policy could be more clear,” she says.

@_jenniferlouise Our crews will do their best to accommodate customers if possible. However, we can receive multiple requests per sailing in which case they would be accommodated in the order they arrived. To look into this further, we will require details from the traveller.^oj

— BC Ferries (@BCFerries) August 19, 2021

“It’s not just an issue for this sailing and my mom. I really do hope that it’s addressed in the future to provide some transparency and support for people with accessibility issues.”

BC Ferries also told Ley that anyone who is “stuck” in a vehicle can call customer service, honk their horn, or even trigger their car alarm to get staff’s attention. But Ley thinks more can be done to prevent this from happening in the first place.

“I think what the shock is, is that my mom doesn’t find out till she gets on board,” she says.

“Hopefully BC Ferries can, with some conversation around this, find some new solutions for people.”

NEWS 1130 has reached out to BC Ferries for comment.