Please Offer me a Seat Program

Our mission is to help disabled Canadians qualify for Disability Tax Credit & CPP Disability Benefits and then maximize their tax refunds & credits. In this endeavor, we have worked with thousands of Disabled Canadians and we recognize the difficulties they face in their everyday life.

To upgrade the accessibility for disabled customers who need to sit down while traveling in busses, subways, or streetcars, the Toronto Transit Commission has launched a new approach “Please offer me a seat” which will help disabled people. This program will offer “Please offer me a seat” buttons and cards to riders who need a seat, especially for those people whose needs may not be so visible to request a seat.

We often think that priority seats are for people who are either pregnant, differently abled, or elderly people. But that is not the case; many people have disabilities that are visible and invisible. Few people may have a temporary need for a seat example if someone had surgery. This initiative taken by TTC will ensure that a person with a disability will not have to ask for a seat but will get one immediately when they have “Please offer me a seat”.

Please Offer Me a Seat Program by TTC’s

In an interview with The Star News, Jae Brown a regular TTC passenger who suffers from epilepsy said he’s reluctant to ask for a seat because he’s shy.

“There have been times when I’ve been standing when I’ve been wishing that, yeah, I should have a seat,” he said. “I could have an epileptic seizure at any time, and I would need to be (sitting).”
As Jae Brown mentioned sometimes it’s hard for people with disability to open up and ask for a seat. They often feel shy and uncomfortable. He also mentioned that he picked up a button Tuesday morning at College Station. He just hopes that it will make his commute easier from Etobicoke to downtown.

“Hopefully it’s going to help make it a friendlier city,” he said. “I think our city needs some of that right now, people working together to make a great city for everyone. I think the buttons will help.”

This move by TTC can help someone who is in need of a seat without having to disclose their conditions. “Please offer me a seat” can help those individuals if they want others to be aware of their needs. The button also has a wheelchair symbol on it.

Liana Hildebrandt another passenger who was interviewed by The Star News said that she tried the “Please offer me a seat” button and mentioned that she did not have to say a word for a seat. A man standing next to her looked away from his tablet and woke up the slumbering commuter, who freed his spot for Hildebrandt.

A day earlier, she had the same kind of experience during her journey from Etobicoke to midtown Toronto. She was not sure if the button would work but she was astonished when a stranger got up and gave up their seat after spotting her “Please offer me a seat” button.

“Without even having to make eye contact, or speak to anyone, a woman in one of the blue seats stood up immediately and gave me her seat,” the 40-year-old said.

In the end, I feel that this “Please offer me a seat” button is a good initiative taken by TTC for people with disabilities who do not want to ask for a seat but will get a seat once someone notices the badge. A badge can make a real difference to the people who are undergoing any medical treatment either long-term or short-term.

Disability Credit Canada View

Disability Credit Canada appreciates the effort taken by the TTC to make it accessible and easier for disabled people who use TTC regularly. We at Disability Credit Canada help disabled Canadians apply for and receive the disability tax credit from the government of Canada. To start with, you can check the disability tax credit eligibility guide to see if you are eligible or you can call us on our toll-free line at 1-844-800-6020 and receive a free no obligation assessment today Request a free assessment.