Persons with Disabilities
Marine Atlantic is pleased to offer additional assistance to its
passengers with disabilities. As part of our commitment to provide the
highest possible level of convenience for persons with disabilities, our
vessels and terminals have been designed for maximum accessibility.
Extensive training has been given to our staff to accommodate the needs
of our passengers with disabilities and we continue to develop and
improve our facilities in this regard.
We ask that persons travelling with Marine Atlantic, who are requesting
either a reservation for an attendant (for assistance) or for an adapted
cabin (for space and mobility), provide proof of disability upon
arrival at the terminal. The following are accepted:
- disabled parking permit
- CNIB card
- community card
- medical note or letter from a recognized disability organization
- other (please specify)
If you are unable to provide appropriate documentation upon arrival at
ticketing, your reservation will be modified and you will be charged the
regular fare.
Attendants
We ask passengers who require an attendant to please self-identify
during the reservation process. The following are passengers whom Marine
Atlantic can accommodate with the attendant rate:
- those using mobility supports (such as wheelchairs or other aids)
- those with visual impairments
- those who are Hard of Hearing/Deaf/deaf
- those with cognitive disabilities
- those with developmental disabilities
- those who are consumers of mental health services
- other (please specify)
Reserving adapted cabins
Passengers who use wheelchairs or who have mobility disabilities and
require an aid (e.g., a walker or a cane) are permitted to reserve an
adapted cabin in advance. Adapted cabins are also available for hearing
impaired passengers.
Travelling with service animals
Marine Atlantic is committed to providing a safe and comfortable journey
for our passengers with disabilities. If you require the assistance
of a certified service animal while travelling, we recommend you notify
us at least 48 hours in advance of travel. This will allow us to make
the necessary travel arrangements and answer any questions you may have.
We ask that you bring proper documentation with you as you may be
required to present it at any time. If you are unable to provide
advance notice, our terminal personnel will be available to assist you
upon arrival. You may be asked to provide supporting documents
including photo ID and the certification papers verifying the training
the service animal has received. If we are unable to verify the
certification of your service animal, we may restrict the areas to which
the animal can visit, both on the terminal property and onboard the
vessel.
Please note - the process for travelling with an emotional support
animal differs from that outlined above. Emotional support animals are
not specifically trained to perform tasks directly related to a person’s
disability. For more information on travelling with an emotional
support animal, please contact us at 1-800-341-7981 or customer_relations@marineatlantic.ca.
Standards of accessibility
Marine Atlantic operates all of its ferries in full compliance with the
Canadian Transportation Agency's Code of Practice on Ferry Accessibility
and the code of communication for persons with disabilities. This code
covers all areas of accessibility.
Our passenger buses have chair lifts, and our terminals and vessels have
elevators. A manual wheelchair can be requested in advance at terminals
and vessels.
Hearing impaired pagers
Hearing impaired pagers are available upon request at the Purser’s Office onboard.
Questions
Any questions or comments regarding our policies can be directed to the
knowledgeable staff at any of the terminal buildings, or by calling the
toll free reservation number: 1-800-341-7981.
For the toll free Hearing Impaired TTY Line please dial 1-877-820-9252.