AccessTALK with Trish – radio episode

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Lloyd Pollock, a trail-blazer, brought accessible transportation to Toronto 26 years ago now. He just happens to be a man living with post polio syndrome.

With 10 years of experience managing a taxi company, and training drivers for the school board on how to handle students using wheelchairs, Lloyd was well acquainted with transporting people with special needs.

It was a natural fit when he was approached by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation in ’87 about developing a wheelchair accessible taxi service. He left his job in management to drive taxi as due diligence while he researched a plan to meet the Ministry’s needs.

Dignity Transportation put it’s first wheelchair accessible taxi on the road in 1991. Since then, Dignity has grown a fleet of accessible cabs and Lloyd has had the privilege of transporting of all people, Stephen Hawking. He’s also had the opportunity to showcase Dignity’s fleet to international audiences.

As an extension of his passion for accessible transportation, Lloyd served on the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (or AODA) Accessible Transportation Standards Development Committee. Wow, that was a mouthful; but so was the job – all in all 2 years to be precise.

Listen in as Lloyd shares the accessibility struggles and successes he’s had through-out his journey to becoming the Father of Accessible Transportation in South Central Ontario.