How to use the new My Para Transpo website

 I rarely get a chance to share good news regarding Para Transpo and for my fellow users. Last week, OC Transpo officially launched the My Para Transpo website. Through My Para Transpo, users of Para Transpo can do the following: Book trips for the next day, or seven days in

Attention city hall: Please stop ignoring Para Transpo riders

 Last week, I took my first trip of 2022 on Para Transpo. While my experience on that day went smoothly, it’s not always the case. Having a positive experience with Para Transpo can almost be a reason to celebrate. For those who aren’t aware of what Para Transpo is, I’ll

Head of OC Transpo reports that readiness plan kept the system running smoothly

 ABOVE: The Ottawa Transit Commission virtual meeting. (RIGHT) Renée Amilcar, General Manager of OC Transpo. The Ottawa’s Transit Commission convened today for a virtual meeting. It was the first meeting of the year and the first since November 17, 2021. Renée Amilcar, General Manager of OC Transpo, summarized the services and

Struggling to make sense of how our city lost control

 When typing this article, the occupation of truck drivers is still happening. Despite Ottawa and Ontario being under a state of emergency, nothing has changed. Outside of issuing tickets and a few arrests, The Ottawa Police continue to do nothing besides watching others take over our city. Our mayor continues

Ottawa refuses to believe that people with disabilities matter

 This week, I want to tackle a few issues. In a way, they’re all connected, at least, in my brain. First and foremost, how about this weather? Please don’t shoot me for a lame question. We had a major snowstorm last week for those of you outside of Ottawa, and

Welcome to 2022. It’s time to review, and begin anew.

 Right off the bat, or in my case, the wheel, I want to say Happy 2022 to everyone. I hope that this year brings you happiness, good health, kindness, and an end to the pandemic once and for all. Since this is the first full week of January, the holidays

As free transit rolls on, many Para Transpo riders are left behind

 Last week, I talked about Para Transpo and how free transit this month would affect their riders due to a shortage of drivers. I also created the hashtag #ParaTranspoInDecember for riders to report any delays and other barriers that interfered with their trips. Since then, I have been on Para

A reminder about free transit in December and how Para Transpo isn’t ready for it.

 At least twice last week, I needed to remind my friends that public transportation will be free for the entire month of December, and that includes Para Transpo. I completely understand why some may forget or think it wouldn’t apply to Para Transpo customers. As I’ve noted before, the City

Home is where we spend time, not serve time in

 It’s that time of year again. No, I’m not talking about the holiday season. I’m referring to falls. I know Fall officially arrived a few weeks ago, but we have been lucky with still having Summer-like weather here in Ottawa. However, as the saying goes, nothing lasts forever. With the

Yet another example of how the healthcare system and the City of Ottawa fail people with disabilities

 Perhaps I’ve already shared this with you before. Please forgive me if I have. About five years ago, I had a feeding tube put into my stomach. Don’t worry, I won’t go into details about the procedure, but it wasn’t a pleasant experience. The reason why I had the procedure

OC Transpo: The public transportation system that also leaves PWD behind

 To put it lightly, OC Transpo had a rough week last week. First, the LRT broke down due to a “minor derailment,” which, by the way, are two words that should never go together. The minor derailment forced the shutdown of the LRT for almost a week. During those seven

Para Transpo: The pandemic rolls on but some ignore the signs

 Last week, two incidents on Para Transpo involving Covid put at least two passengers at risk. The first was that one of the drivers wasn’t wearing a mask inside the vehicle, and a passenger was on board. As I mentioned last week, along with driving, Para Transpo drivers are also

Providing proof of vaccination, and how it could affect people with disabilities

 Recently, there has been more talk about people needing to prove that they are 100 per cent vaccinated against Covid. This week, I’ll be examining the potential impact that it could have on people with disabilities. First off, let me again mention that several individuals and even families scattered across

Ottawa—the city that people with disabilities probably don’t dream about

 People have asked me if I’ve ever imagined what my life would be like if I weren’t physically disabled throughout my life. I have. Perhaps even too often. It’s hard for me not to. Almost everywhere I look, I see a city that wasn’t made for people with disabilities. For

Winter in Ottawa — delivering independence

 Judging by the amount of snow that fell over the weekend, I think we can all safely say that it feels more than Winter. With all this snow on the ground, it means that people with disabilities, particularly those with mobility issues, have an even more challenging time getting around.

Don’t you forget about PWD

 By now, most people have heard or watched what happened last week in the US. Meanwhile, here on the local front, Covid-19 numbers continue to rise, and Quebec has implemented a curfew to lower the case numbers. I admit that I don’t understand how a curfew is going to improve

Advice on looking after your mental health during the winter in the age of Covid

 As we move closer to Winter, many people may feel depressed and isolated. This is particularly true this year due to Covid-19. For people with disabilities, the Winter months can affect us in a multitude of ways. During the Winter season, many PWD stay home. This is due to cold

While healthcare advances, PWD’s are left behind

 Most of us have been to a Hospital at one point or another. I’m willing to bet that at least some of you have had bad experiences while being in a hospital or being seen by a health care professional. Now, what happens if you’re a person with a disability.

A look back at when I ran for Mayor in 2018

 October 22nd, 2020, will mark two years since the 2018 Ottawa Municipal Election was held. For those that may not be aware, I was one of the candidates that ran for Mayor. With the anniversary coming up, I figured that I would take the opportunity to talk about my experiences

Para Transpo: The never ending battle for a smoother ride — part two

 In this second part of a two-part series on Para Transpo, I’ll be discussing the fare structure, issues surrounding the use of the Presto card, and other concerns. Plus, I’ll talk about ParaParity, a local advocacy group. Para Transpo Fare Para Transpo users have a few options when it comes

Para Transpo: The neverending battle for a smoother ride

 If you’ve lived in Ottawa for any length of time, you’ve probably seen a Para Transpo vehicle. In the first of a two-part series on Para Transpo, I’ll give an overview of how the service works. What is Para Transpo? Para Transpo provides door-to-door service for people with disabilities and

Introducing OLM’s new contributor, Ryan Lythall

 My name is Ryan Lythall. This is my first column for Ottawa Life Magazine, so I wanted to introduce myself. My story is a bit different than most. In 1975, I was born with a rare Neuromuscular condition called Nemaline Myopathy. NM causes muscle weakness, speech impairments, and respiratory problems.

Uber and the accessibility question

 Above: A user organizing a ride through UberAssist. Photo by Eric Murphy. Ottawa’s plan to legalize Uber has locals who use accessible taxis concerned that the service they’ve fought for and relied on for years may be drawn-back, or even cease to exist. “In Ottawa I can call West-Way taxi,