Abbotsford mom frustrated by Fraser Valley transit strike’s impact on disabled daughter

An Abbotsford mother is highlighting how the ongoing transit strike in the Fraser Valley is affecting those with disabilities and their families.

As the weeks, and now months, of the strike carry on, Sylvia Dirks is speaking out on behalf of her 33-year-old daughter Amy who has physical and intellectual disabilities.

“This is definitely taking a hit on her ability to be independent. It’s taking a hit on [her] anxiety because she wants to know exactly what’s happening. And when it’s not the same every day, that causes her anxiety to be worse,” she explained.

Normally, she says Amy takes HandyDART to and from a day program. However, given the strike, those trips are not deemed “essential” and are putting a major strain on families in similar situations.

Sylvia says that although the service isn’t available, she and a respite family are picking up the slack to ensure Amy can get to her program.

“The hit is directly on our people with disabilities. It is on anybody who relies on using HandyDART or the bus system, it is on their independence, and it, in the end, affects their health, their well-being,” she said.

Although Sylvia says Amy is still able to get to her program daily, she stresses some people don’t have the same level of support.

Sylvia says that it has been a big step for Amy to take use HandyDART in the first place, and having that stripped away has been a big blow.

“I remember years ago when she graduated from high school and it was suggested to us HandyDART, and I was kind of like, ‘Oh no, we’ll drive her,’ And the wise person who was listening to me said in a very kind voice, ‘That’s really wonderful that you’re willing to do that, but this is a learning process for Amy, for her to be able to be independent [and to] take HandyDART and get places by herself and that’s going to help her to become more independent, so that is why she uses HandyDART.”

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While Amy is able to attend her day program, the bus strike also means those in the day program are far more restricted in terms of their activities.

“They go to the swimming pool, they go to bowling, they go to do their volunteer work. So bus is really, really important because that’s the next level of independence for her,” she said.

Sylvia is calling for a resolution to the strike citing the pressure the situation is putting on people.

“I understand it’s not a simple thing, but why do we have to wait so long to get something resolved?” she said.

“It emphasizes again that there’s a portion of society that rely on these infrastructures, and does anybody really care?”

CityNews has reached out to CUPE 561 for comment on this story.

With files from Emily Marsten