1. General

1.1 Introduction

EVA Airways Corporation (EVA Air) regularly provides air transportation services to and from Canada. As a foreign carrier with operations within Canada, EVA Air is committed to complying with its regulatory requirements and has taken important steps to ensure that its services are accessible to all passengers.

This Multi-Year Accessibility Plan is EVA Air’s first Accessibility Plan. During the course of its consultation and feedback process, EVA Air has acknowledged that there are barriers in its services to persons with disabilities. In this Accessibility Plan, EVA Air summarizes the actions it will be taking to remove and prevent the barriers faced by persons with disabilities during air travel.

At the outset, EVA Air recognizes that its passengers with disabilities may face certain barriers within the airport terminal, which fall within the scope of the airport authorities. This Accessibility Plan has identified only those barriers to the extent that EVA Air is able to meaningfully address them to assist its passengers with disabilities from the point of check-in, to using the airport lounge, to navigating the airport, to boarding the aircraft and during air travel. To the extent that EVA Airways is not able to make changes within the scope of the airport authorities, EVA Air does not address these barriers in this Accessibility Plan.

1.2 Key Terms

Two important terms are used throughout the Accessibility Plan which are defined in the Accessible Canada Act (ACA).

A barrier is “anything – including anything physical, architectural, technological or attitudinal, anything that is based on information or communications or anything that is the result of a policy or a practice – that hinders the full and equal participation in society of persons with an impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory impairment or a functional limitation.”

A disability is “any impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory impairment – or a functional limitation – whether permanent, temporary or episodic in nature, or evident or not, that, in interaction with a barrier, hinders a person’s full and equal participation in society.”

1.3 Commitment

EVA Air is committed to ensuring equal access and participation for people with disabilities. We are committed to the principle of inclusion, to meet the needs of people who would be facing barriers and will do this by identifying, removing and preventing barriers. EVA Air will treat persons with disabilities with dignity and provide equal opportunities as well as barrier-free access.

1.4 Feedback Process and Contact Information

This Accessibility Plan was developed with the feedback from various stakeholders as part of its consultation process. EVA Airways is committed to receiving continued feedback as to the barriers experienced by persons using its services.

For the purposes of providing EVA Air with feedback on this Accessibility Plan or any other feedback concerning accessibility, you may be contact us, anonymously or by including your name and contact information, through any of the following means:

Call us at EVA Air's Vancouver Office Accessible Services Desk:

• 1-604-303-3338 ext. 117. Use TTY (711) for those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Accessible Service Desk hours are from Monday to Friday, from 05:30 AM to 5:30 PM (Local Time).
• Email us at evacares@evaair.com
• Mail us at:
  

  The Accessibility Officer
  EVA Airways Vancouver Office

  Vancouver International Airport
  Domestic Terminal Room B4110
  3880 Grant Mc Conchae Way
  Richmond, BC. Canada V7B 1W

Our Accessibility Officer is responsible for receiving and overseeing the handling of feedback. Except where feedback is provided anonymously, our Accessibility Officer will confirm receipt of feedback in the same manner in which it was provided to EVA Airways. EVA Airways will review and assess feedback to improve our accessibility practices and services.

You may also contact us at any of the above channels to request a copy of this Accessibility Plan or our progress reports in accessible formats, such as large print, audio, or an electronic copy compatible with adaptive technology.

This Accessibility Plan published on EVA Airways’ website in a format that meets the requirements for Level AA conformance under the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1.

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2. Consultation

EVA Air consulted with persons with disabilities, members of the public, and other interested stakeholders, such as representatives from disability organizations across Canada to ensure that its Accessibility Plan addressed the barriers faced by persons with disabilities in a comprehensive and meaningful way. In addition, EVA Air consulted with its employees, who are central to EVA Air’s ability to provide accessible services and treating all passengers with dignity.

2.1 Consultations with Stakeholders who have Disabilities

EVA Air is committed to undertaking a consultation process that is transparent, accessible, and accountable. In order to engage meaningfully, EVA Air engaged with persons with disabilities in multiple formats from December 2022 to May 2023, described below.

EVA Air invited the representatives from following disability organizations in its targeted consultation to participate in the consultation process:

• Canadian National Institute for the Blind
• National Pensioners Federation
• Spinal Cord Injury Canada
• Voice of Albertans with Disabilities
• Canadian Hearing Services
• Guide Dog Users of Canada
• Alliance of Equality of Blind Canadians
• Canadian Council of the Blind
• Coalition of People who use Guide and Service Dogs
• Council of Canadians with Disabilities

EVA Air held an in-person Webinar on March 1, 2023, which was attended by persons with disabilities and representatives from disability organizations who were invited to provide their lived-experiences of barriers encountered during air travel verbally, through online questionnaires, and in writing on the webinar platform. The webinar was interpreted by American sign-language interpreters for deaf participants.

EVA Air circulated an online survey to persons with disabilities who had expressed an interest in participating in the consultation process. Surveys were completed anonymously and the survey questions covered a range of areas described under Section 5 of the ACA.

EVA Air assembled an Accessibility Advisory Committee to provide feedback on an ongoing basis, to participate in important procurement plans and ensure that EVA Air continues to meet its accessibility goals.

The most common feedback and suggestions obtained by EVA Air during the consultation process was the following:

• Passengers with disabilities require improved communications during gate changes or flight delays as changes to flight information within the airport terminal is not always accessible;
• Cabin crew should receive training on communicating effectively with persons with disabilities;
• Cabin crew should receive training on basic sign-language (e.g. tea, coffee, bathroom, emergency procedures);
• Cabin crew staff should accommodate persons with service dogs in their preferred seat;
• Braille documentation should also be included in French;
• Services should be provided for people who are not technologically proficient;
• Advanced boarding and wheelchair services should be provided for persons with disabilities.

Accessibility Goals are included in EVA Air’s Accessibility Plan, below, which seeks to remove the barriers identified in the feedback received.

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3. Areas described under Section 5 of the Accessible Canada Act

3.1 Information and communication technologies (ICT)

Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) are important to the work EVA Air does as a foreign air carrier. Accessible ICT may help to remove barriers to persons with disabilities who wish to access EVA Air’s services online. At the same time, we recognize that some advances in ICT may create barriers to persons who do not have regular access to modern technology and that a range of ICT will ensure that EVA Air’s services are accessible.

Prior to the development of its Accessibility Plan, EVA Air actioned the following measures to make its customer services accessible to persons with disabilities:

• EVA Air provides the TTY/711 telecommunications number for local reservations and ticketing offices in North America;
• EVA Air’s menu & wine list is available on its website in compliance with the WCAG with level AA.
• For persons wishing to access EVA Air’s accessibility services on its website, EVA Air Vancouver office mailing address and email address (evacares@evaair.com) is provided so that passengers may request accessible services and provide feedback on barriers encountered.
• EVA Air is committed to making evaair.com accessible to the broadest range of people, regardless of their physical abilities and or age. We’ve been using the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2 Level AA Success Criteria as the design standard for our website, and working continuously with the disability group to improve the usability of its website.

Accessibility Goals in ICT

• EVA Air will work with the Accessibility Advisory Committee and other stakeholders to improve the usability of its website on an ongoing basis.
• In 2023, EVA Air will publish all services that it offers to persons with disabilities and any conditions that apply to those services on its website;
• In 2023, EVA Air will publish the complaint resolution services that it offers and how a passenger may access those services.
• In 2023, Duty Free Preorder website will be relaunched with new version, which refers to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2 Level AA Success Criteria as design standard.

3.2 Communication, other than ICT

Everyone who uses the services provided by EVA Air must be able to access and understand the information we provide.

3.2.1 Communications, as it relates to transportation and passenger aircrafts and aerodrome passenger terminals

EVA Air’s crew are committed to providing accessible communications to persons with disabilities, which currently include:

• Individual safety briefings for persons with disabilities and their companions within the aircraft;
• A braille book and demo kit to blind passengers within the aircraft;
• Meals and beverages served are described in detail to blind passengers;
• Instructions on cabin configuration and wayfinding to the lavatory within the aircraft are provided;
• Passengers sitting in the vicinity of those with severe allergies are prohibited from using products with allergens and public announcements are made.
• EVA Air provides the TTY/711 telecommunications number for local reservations and ticketing offices in North America.
• Passengers receive public announcements within the airport terminal from EVA Air in respect of gate changes and flight disruptions.
• Cabin Crew utilize the in-flight public announcement system to provide information, including the weather conditions, availability of cabin services, delays, diversions, and safety instructions.
• The in-flight safety demonstration short feature film has English and Mandarin subtitles.
• The onboard entertainment has closed captions for Block Buster Movies.
• Clear and easy to understand signage and instructions are located on-board the aircraft.
• To demonstrate EVA Air’s continuing commitment to providing accessible services globally, EVA Air currently provides courtesy counters at the Taoyuan International Airport, where possible.
• Since 2021, passengers with disabilities requesting special services for flights to and from Canada in advance, are provided with written confirmation of the services EVA Air has provided. If EVA Air is unable to provide the requested assistance, EVA Air provides an explanation in writing to the affected passenger.

Accessibility Goals for Communication, other than ICT

EVA Air recognizes that there are areas of communication, which may be improved upon. Communications within EVA Air’s operations and with passengers using its services need to be easily understandable and accessible to persons with a range of disabilities.

• In 2023, EVA Air will provide accessible services at its registration counter and ticketing offices. When a person requests additional accessible services such as a mobility aid or accessible communications, EVA Air’s staff will assist in the following ways:
  • Providing communications in clear, concise and plain language or handwriting.
  • For persons with disabilities who require, but do not travel with an aide, EVA Air will arrange manpower to escort the passenger to the terminal gate.
• In 2023, EVA Air will provide clear and easy-to-understand signage with flight information at check-in counter and boarding gate within the airport terminal.

3.3 Procurement of goods, services and facilities

EVA Air recognizes that in order to ensure an accessible future for its employees and persons using its air transportation services, including the services of ground handlers and airport terminal operations used by its passengers, accessibility must be considered when planning and purchasing new goods, services, and facilities wherever possible.

EVA Air has always complied with local government regulation include accessibility when entering into new contractual agreements for the procurement of goods, services and facilities.

Accessibility Goals for Procurement of goods, services and facilities

• To strengthen EVA Air’s existing procurement policy to ensure that new goods and services do not create accessibility barriers. EVA Air will continue to comply with all of its local and international regulatory obligations pertaining to procurement and accessible services.

3.4 Design and delivery of programs and services

EVA Air is committed to including accessibility when designing and delivering services and programs to the people using them. EVA Air has established an Accessibility Advisory Committee, which includes representatives from the disability community.

Accessibility Goals in the design and delivery of programs and services

• In 2023, EVA Air will consult with persons with disabilities during its development of a Sensitivity and Awareness training program for its cabin crewmembers.
• EVA Air is aware that training is crucial for cabin crew to receive awareness on different types of disabilities and provide effective communication and efficient service for passengers with disabilities. In 2023, EVA Air will develop mandatory training courses for its cabin crew. EVA Air will consult with its Accessibility Advisory Committee to assist in preparing appropriate training materials and securing suitably qualified instructors to perform staff service training.
• In 2023, EVA Air’s cabin crew will receive the following mandatory training courses which will be developed in 2023 during initial ground training:
  • The “Sensitivity and Awareness” training program will provide guidance on how to interact, assist, and communicate with passengers with disabilities.
  • The Service Skills course will include simulation drills on serving passengers with disabilities during flights, including the use of the Passenger Transfer Kit to assist passengers with reduced mobility.
• In 2024, EVA Air will design and implement a basic sign language course as well as videos to all cabin crew to practically improve the quality of the services received by deaf passengers.
• In 2024, EVA Air will consult concerned organizations and conduct internal trainings for front-line staff to take care of passengers with disabilities.

3.5 Transportation

As a large foreign air transportation provider, EVA Air seeks to prevent transportation barriers experienced by its passengers with disabilities. EVA Air acknowledges that passengers using EVA Air’s transportation services take a number of steps in their journey: from ticket purchase, to the point of check-in, to using the airport lounge, to navigating the airport, to boarding the aircraft and during air travel.

EVA Air currently implements the following accessibility measures for passengers with disabilities during transportation:

• Passengers with disabilities receive priority boarding and disembark after other passengers;
• Cabin crew assist passengers with disabilities in the following ways within the aircraft:
  • When boarding and disembarking the aircraft;
  • When stowing and removing luggage;
  • When assisting passengers to and from their seats to the lavatory;
  • Checking on passengers during the flight;
  • Assisting passengers on using the in-flight entertainment system;
  • Carrying and storing assistive devices, such as collapsible wheelchairs which are loaded into cabin.
  • Offering on-board wheelchair services to passengers;
  • Assisting passengers to open packages or cut their food;
  • Using an airport wheelchair to transport passengers with disabilities directly to their seat.
• Within the airport terminal, EVA Air facilitates and/or provides passengers with disabilities with the following services:
  • Transportation to, from and between gates, by airport wheelchairs or other appropriate means in the airport;
  • Assistance with boarding;
  • Shuttle buses used to board the aircraft are equipped with a low chassis and an auxiliary ramp, accessible for persons with mobility aids.
  • An Ambu-lift car is available for passengers unable to use aircraft staircases.
• EVA Air provides the following special services to passengers with disabilities:
  • EVA Air accommodates trained service dogs in the cabin onboard the aircraft for passengers with disabilities.
  • EVA Air provides a stretcher for passengers who are required to lie down for the duration of the flight due to illness, injury, or another condition.
  • Passengers with disabilities may use an approved portable oxygen concentrator (POC).
  • Additional oxygen can be provided by EVA Air at the passenger’s expense.
  • Passengers who use wheelchairs are allowed to take a manual wheelchair into the cabin. A collapsible wheelchair is available on each flight. EVA Air also provides wheelchairs for passengers to use in cabin.
  • EVA Air makes every effort to transport passengers’ wheelchairs or mobility aids, including battery-powered wheelchairs, subject to size constraints and safe transportation of batteries.
  • Mobility aids are transported in high priority stowage. EVA Air provides a timely return of passengers’ wheelchairs and mobility aids and other assistive devices as close as possible to the aircraft door after the aircraft has landed, unless requested.

Accessibility Goals for Transportation

EVA Air has received feedback from persons with disabilities identifying certain barriers faced with transportation during air travel. EVA Air provides the below accessibility goals to address the barriers that may be encountered by passengers with disabilities during the different steps in an air transportation journey.

• In 2023, EVA Air will ensure that persons travelling with service dogs are accommodated in their preferred seat.
• In 2024, EVA Air ensure that arrangements or agreements with ground handling services provide for accessible services.

3.6 Built environment

Barriers to the built environment occur when buildings, facilities, aircraft and airport terminals are not accessible or usable by all people.

EVA Air has always been committed to ensuring accessibility for passengers with disabilities onboard its aircraft and in its airport lounges. Examples of the measures being implemented by EVA Air include the following:

• All new EVA Air wide-body aircraft have at least one accessible restroom in the cabin. Onboard the aircraft, EVA Air cabin crew provide the location of accessible restroom and assist the passenger to the restroom.
• Passengers may board with and store their manual wheelchairs onboard EVA Air aircraft.
• EVA Air implements an allergy buffer zone system for passengers with severe allergies.
• In EVA Air’s lounge, passengers who have accessibility needs may sit in reserved wide-space areas near the entrance and accessible restrooms are available.

EVA Air acknowledges that, during its consultation process, certain barriers to accessibility were identified within the airport terminal. To the extent that these barriers are outside EVA Air’s authority as a foreign air carrier, EVA Air does not propose to deal with these barriers in this Accessibility Plan. However, EVA Air is committed to removing barriers within the airport terminal, which EVA Air is able to address, as is demonstrated in our Accessibility Goals below.

Accessibility Goals for the Built Environment

• From 2024, EVA Air will provide wayfinding in an accessible format, such as audio or braille, for key locations within the airport terminal, such as accessible parking spaces and the locations of service animal relief areas.
• From 2024, for the passengers with disabilities who request an advanced seat selection, EVA Air will make every effort to provide the selected seat that accommodates the passenger’s needs.
• In 2025, EVA Air will conduct a tour of the Canadian airports serviced by EVA Air, to identify potential additional barriers within the airports that EVA Air can address.

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4. Provisions of CTA accessibility-related regulations

As a large foreign transportation service provider that has transported at least 1 million passengers each year for the last two years, EVA Air is required to comply with the provisions of the Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations (ATPDR) that apply to it for all flights that depart from or arrive in Canada, including flights that form part of an itinerary with flights outside Canada.

The purpose of the ATPDR is to protect the fundamental right of persons with disabilities to accessible transportation services.

Beyond its regulatory requirements, EVA Air has already complied with, or has included goals in its Accessibility Plan to comply with additional provisions of the ATPDR, such as the following:

• To publish services that EVA Airways offers to persons with disabilities and any conditions that apply to those services (Section 5(1)(b));
• To publish the complaint resolution services that EVA Airways offers and how a passenger may access those services (Section 5(1)(c));
• To comply with Section 6 by ensuring that EVA Air personnel who interact with passengers take into account the nature of the person’s disability, any assistive devices used, and any methods of communication that will facilitate in communicating with persons with disabilities.
• EVA Airways will ensure that its website is available to the public meets the requirements for a Level AA conformance that are set out in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.
• EVA Airways will provide mandatory training to its personnel who may be required to interact with the public or to participate in making decisions or in developing policies or procedures in relation to EVA Air’s operations, in compliance with the requirements set out in sections 15 to 19. The training will provide EVA Air’s personnel with an adequate level of knowledge and skills to carry out those functions, including training with respect to the requirements of the ATPDR and EVA Air’s policies and procedures with respect to persons with disabilities.

EVA Air provides the specific requirements contained in the Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations that apply to it as well as examples of the measures taken by EVA Air to ensure compliance, below.

4.1 Section 5(1) (a) of the ATPDR - Publication

EVA Airways is required to publish, in electronic format on its website, that it is subject to the Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations and the provisions of the Regulations that apply to it.

4.2 Section 35 of the ATPDR – Services to be provided

EVA Airways is obliged to provide certain services on the request of a person with a disability without delay, unless a service cannot be provided after departure or before arrival at a terminal due to the absence of on-board personnel.

4.3 Section 35(k) of the ATPDR – Assistance with Accessing On-board Entertainment

EVA Airways is obliged to assist passengers accessing any on-board entertainment content, such as by providing a personal electronic device and assisting them in using that device.

4.4 Section 35(m) of the ATPDR – Providing an On-board Wheelchair

EVA Airways is obliged to provide passengers with disabilities with an on-board wheelchair, upon request.

4.5 Section 40(1) of the ATPDR – Transporting a Mobility Device

EVA Airways must, on the request of a person with a disability who needs a mobility aid during travel, accept the mobility aid for transport as priority baggage. This provision is subject to the following exceptions:

• If the size of the door to the aircraft’s baggage compartment or size of the aircraft’s baggage compartment is not large enough to accommodate the mobility aid;
• The transportation of the mobility aid would jeopardize the aircraft’s airworthiness;
• The weight or size of the mobility aid exceeds the capacity of the lift or ramp.

4.6 Sections 50(2), 51(4), and 52 of the ATPDR – Additional Seats

EVA Air is obliged to provide a passenger seat for the support person that is adjacent to the passenger seat of the person with a disability.

Where additional space is required for a service dog to lie down safely at the feet of the passenger in a manner that ensures the wellbeing of the passenger and the service dog, EVA Air is required to provide the passenger with the passenger seat adjacent to their seat to ensure that there is sufficient floor space for the service dog to lie down.

On the request of a person with a disability who needs more than one passenger seat because of the nature of their disability, EVA Air must provide to the person any passenger seat adjacent to their passenger seat that is needed by the person.

The above additional seats must be provided free of charge unless the flight is between Canada and a foreign country.

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5. Conclusion

EVA Airways will actively address the Accessibility Goals in the timeframes provided in this 3-year Accessibility Plan. EVA Airways will continue to proactively address barriers faced by persons with disabilities who take advantage of EVA Air’s services, with the help of disability organizations, its stakeholders, the feedback received from the public, and the Accessibility Advisory Committee.

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