A Guide to Accessible Travel in Alberta

After spending the past five years using a manual wheelchair, Ryan Straschnitzki wants to ensure life is more accessible for others.   

The former Canadian junior hockey player became paralyzed from the chest down on April 6, 2018, when a semi-truck struck the bus he was riding on with his Humboldt Broncos teammates. The crash in rural Saskatchewan killed 16 people and seriously injured 13 others, including Straschnitzki. 

Straschnitzki credits his athlete mindset of perseverance with helping him adapt to navigating a world that wasn’t built for him in a wheelchair. “I just keep trying,” says the 24-year-old who lives in Airdrie, Alberta.

He travels frequently as a public speaker around Alberta, where he runs the Straz Strong Foundation. His personal experiences have spurred him to become an accessibility advocate, striving for improvements to the built environment and raising awareness about the daily challenges that people with disabilities face.  

“I want people to be able to go out and enjoy themselves,” he says.

Straschnitzki shares his tips and tricks for accessible travel in Alberta.

Enjoy accessible features throughout Alberta

Before he heads out, whether he’s going to a restaurant, attraction or booking a stay, Straschnitzki goes online to research how accessible the place is. “I’ll look at reviews, and if that doesn’t give me a solid answer, I’ll call and ask and just double check before going somewhere,” he says. This precautionary measure helps ensure he’s prepared for the built environment and aware of any physical barriers that may exist.  

Another resource is Access Now, an app for discovering accessible places around the world. Users can rate the accessibility of restaurants, hotels, stores and attractions and include descriptions and photos, making it easy to find up-to-date information on accessible places throughout Alberta.

Check the airport’s accessibility services online before your trip 

Both YYC and YEG are equipped to provide an accessible airport experience for people of all ages and abilities, including anyone with a hidden disability. The airports have recently partnered with the world-renowned Sunflower Program, which helps alert staff to travellers who have a hidden disability and may require extra assistance.

Airports in Alberta are quite accessible, Straschnitzki says, and he feels at ease flying and navigating airports in his wheelchair. But he still remembers how nervous he was to fly for the first time with his wheelchair. “If you’re a first timer flying with a wheelchair, it's going to be nerve wracking. You’re going to be unsure what's going on, but you’ve just got to continue to do it before you get comfortable with it,” he advises.

Know your options for wheelchair accessible transportation

Straschnitzki relies on Ubers or taxis to get around when he’s travelling. Accessible taxis are available in Alberta cities, with bookings made through each taxi company. In Calgary, you can call WAV (Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle), a central dispatch service for wheelchair accessible taxis from numerous cab companies.  

Uber is an option in bigger cities like Calgary, Edmonton, Fort McMurray and Red Deer. On the Uber app, check the Uber WAV ride options for wheelchair-accessible vehicles. Services that specialize in accessible transportation for people with limited mobility also exist, such as Royal Wagon in Edmonton.   

Major car rental companies offer adaptive driving devices for customers with disabilities at no additional charge, such as hand controls and pedal extenders. Advanced notice is required to reserve this equipment. Additionally, to use disabled parking stalls in Alberta, simply display your valid parking placard from your home province or country. If you didn’t bring your placard with you, apply for a temporary placard to use during your stay. 

Some cities and towns in Alberta offer public transit that is accessible for people with different levels of mobility. Calgary and Edmonton have accessible bus fleets and light rail transit systems. When riding Calgary’s C-Train or Edmonton’s LRT, accessible doors with ramps to make boarding easier are marked with wheelchair decals. Roam Transit serves the mountain towns of Canmore, Banff and Lake Louise and has wheelchair-friendly buses, with a fold-out ramp and low floor to assist getting on and off.  

Bus routes throughout Alberta are primarily served by Red Arrow, including travel between Calgary, Red Deer, Edmonton, Fort McMurray and Lethbridge. Make reservations at least 24 hours before departure if you require a wheelchair lift. Check Alberta’s list of public bus services for options in smaller destinations throughout the province, and contact companies directly for specific route, ticketing and accessibility information.

Search for and book comfortable, wheelchair-friendly accommodations

Whether you’re booking a hotel room or a stay through a vacation rental site, wheelchair-friendly accommodations exist throughout Alberta. Many booking sites offer search filters, detailed photos and even virtual tours. Check with your accommodations directly before booking to ensure your specific accessibility needs will be met.

Some of the accommodations Straschnitzki has stayed at in Alberta are strong examples of universal design. “Some of the good things I’ve noticed is how wide they make the doors, automatic doors and roll-in showers, and just a wider concept so that everyone with a mobility device or with a disability can get around easier and access every part of the room,” he says.

Making spaces accessible for everyone

Universal design refers to creating environments that are accessible to all people, regardless of their age, abilities or disabilities. Straschnitzki recently took a course on universal design with the Rick Hansen Foundation and learned more about the intricacies of designing inclusive places everyone can access, rather than singling out specific people and trying to address certain needs.

Straschnitzki spends a lot of time in gyms and hockey rinks, and he singles out WinSport  Canada Olympic Park in Calgary as an accessible venue. Straschnitzki hopes to one day compete in the Paralympics, and he has tried numerous adaptive wheelchair sports, including hockey, basketball, rugby, golf, rowing and mountain biking. “If we can get that mindset towards everyday life, instead of just adaptive sports, we can start making some big changes,” he says.  

He knows firsthand that many people don’t think about accessible spaces until a disability affects them or someone they know. “All my friends didn't really think about accessibility until they hung out with me. So they open their eyes and word spreads,” he says. He hopes his social media posts and public speaking also raise awareness and create change.   

“When you look at things with an accessibility lens, you start to notice infrastructure that may or may not be accessible, and I think that's when the conversation starts,” he says. “Just talking about it can fuel that change to truly make spaces accessible for everyone.”