'Just not acceptable': Advocates upset after DATS driver refuses to wait for disabled woman

Self advocates in Edmonton's disability community are expressingfrustration afterthey say a driver with Disabled Adult Transit Service (DATS) refused towait for a woman with verbal and physical limitations.

Cassandra Ainslie was at a meeting last weekwith other members ofthe Self Advocacy Federation, a group of people withdisabilities whocarry out advocacy work inEdmonton. Shescheduled a pickup with the city's paratransitservice to coincide with the end of the meeting on Tuesday night along with some of the other members.

• DATSneeds $2.25 million to improve bus service, Edmontoncouncillorstold

As the group filed toward the busoutside the Gateway Association building on 120th Street, a membertold the driver that Ainslie was on her way, said Heath Birkholz, a community advocate with the federation. Ainslie, who is non-verbal and uses an electric wheelchairfor mobility, was taking the only elevator in the building to arrive at the ground floor.

Birkholz said the driverwaitedtwo minutes before driving away.

"The driver should be making sure that the person is not there before you leave that location," he said.

"There should be no means thatanybody is being left behind."

Some members were still aroundto arrange for another pickup, which arrived 45 minutes later. The situation could have been worse under different circumstances, Birkholz said.

"Because of her physical limitation as well as verbal limitations, there was the possibility of not having any means of communicating with, or making sure there was, an alternative ride," he said.

'It's a vital support service'

DATSis available to adults with severe physical and cognitive disability. The trips often have to be requested two or three days in advance, with a target pickup window of 30 minutes.

Edmonton Transit Service confirmed the incident was under investigation and that DATSmanagement had been in contact with representatives from the Self Advocacy Federation to gather information.

"Drivers are trained to wait at least five minutes at pickup locations before proceeding and to contact dispatch if there are any issues or concerns. DATS is a shared-ride service, so delays in pickups can negatively impact service for other DATS clients," said spokesperson Rowan Anderson, in an email to CBCNews.

A quarter of all 1,358 complaints lodged by DATSclients over a two-year period were registered as "no show,"a category thataccounts for when adriver missesa pickup or there was a miscommunication,according to a report presented to the city's executive committee last month. At the meeting, councillorswere told DATSwould need $2.25 million to improve the service.

• DATS refuses escort for significantly disabled man

"It's a vital support service for part of our population to be able to live and to be able to feel as much as we can be equal with those around them as possible," Birkholz said.

"Part of that is we need to be able to communicate and make sure that service is going to be there."

MeloneyPatterson, executive director of Voice of Albertans with Disabilities, said the incident on Tuesday was "just not acceptable."

"It takes two or three days to schedule that ride and he couldn't wait for two or three minutes, then there's a big problem in the system," she said.

When CBCNews spoke to Birkholzon Thursday, he said the Self Advocacy Federation had not received an update on the investigation or met with a representative fromDATS.