Marine Atlantic’s new accessibility features will enhance safety for disabled and visually impaired passengers

The newest vessel in Marine Atlantic’s fleet, the Ala’Suinu, will have about twenty new additions, allowing visually impaired and disabled passengers to travel safer and more comfortably. 

Thanks to new and ongoing accessibility features added to Marine Atlantic terminal branches and its fleet of ferries between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, visually impaired and disabled passengers will be safer and able to travel comfortably.

In late October, representatives from community groups and not-for-profits such as the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), the Coalition of Persons with Disabilities, the Hard of Hearing Association and the Spinal Cord Injury Association met with Marine Atlantic officials as part of their annual Accessibility Committee, which has been in place for over twenty years.  

Darrell Mercer, Corporate Communications Manager with Marine Atlantic, said their mandate is serving the travelling public. 

“From an accessibility perspective, there should be nothing that prohibits anybody with any disability, whether it's hearing, visual, mobility or intellectual. Everyone is welcome on Marine Atlantic’s ferries. About twenty accessible additions were made to the Ala’Suinu alone, one of the company's newest ferries. Some of the additions include tactile strip indicators at the top of the stairs and on transition platforms, contrasting colours and accessible signage throughout the entire vessel, such as braille, text heights, sign locations, and visual and audible alarms. 

Marine Atlantic’ Ala’Suinu will also have tactile strips in every stairwell to help the visually impaired. The accessibility additions are more than twenty; the new vessel will have to aid visually impaired and disabled passengers when they travel.  

Deon Slaney, a Smart Life Coach with the CNIB, St.John’s branch, and a strong advocate for persons with disabilities, especially the visibility-impaired or blind, said Marine Atlantic exceeded their expectations. 

Slaney has low vision and grew up with a degenerative eye condition called retinitis pigmentosa, which is passed on through genetics by the females on his mom's side of the family.  He explained that people with this eye conduction had had trouble seeing in the dark and, more often, in dimly lit areas. Another condition symptom is tunnel vision, where the field of vision to the sides is limited only through the centre. 

When Slaney had his first tour of the Ala’Suinu, he first noticed the recessed lighting, a massive advantage for the visually impaired with low vision. 

“I was happy to see that about 90 percent of the vessel has recessed lighting, which is great for people with low vision like me. Especially in areas like the cabins, common areas and the restaurants where people eat.”

Slaney said another accessibility addition he was thrilled about was the use of high contrast, which means adding different colours that contrast each other on the floors and walls of the vessel. 

“It's easier for me to see when there's contrast. So, to give you an example, if you had a white wall and floor, I would have difficulty distinguishing between the wall and the floor,” said Slaney. “Adding a lighter colour on the floors or darker colour on the walls or vice versa or putting a dark colour strip where the wall meets the floor, I can distinguish between the wall and the floor.”

A view of the wheel chair accessible rooms

Mercer said the accessibility additions resulted from listening to and applying suggestions from its customer base and the committee. 

“Our goal was to have all the accessibility features for the first sailing. Once that vessel was in service. Again, we've made some improvements based on customer feedback and because they provide valuable feedback,” said Mercer. “We’ve also asked committee members what they thought about some of the features when they toured the ferry and if they had additional feedback. Often, if we have to make improvements, it's a minimal adjustment, and it can benefit many people.”

It was the first year Slaney represented the CNIB on the annual accessibility committee with Marine Atlantic. He said it was a positive experience and feels the partnership with CNIB will grow stronger.

Sitting around the table, I could tell that their representatives, the IT people, and the managers were genuinely interested in what we had to say. They asked many questions, which we had many answers to; if we didn't, we certainly would follow up with them through these meetings. It was a great experience. They're doing their due diligence in making their vessels and terminals accessible for people with visual impairment.”