Archives 2007

Developing accessible transportation - A large-scale international event

By Comotred
The phenomenon of an aging population in the majority of industrialized countries is common knowledge. According to Statistics Canada projections, the number of people aged 65 and older will gradually increase from 4 million today to 9 million in 2031 . In addition, the most common types of disabilities among seniors are mobility limitations (43% of seniors age 75 and older; 25% of those age 65 to 74 in 2001) . This major increase in the number and percentage of seniors in the population requires innovative and adapted transportation options.

In this context, Canada is proud to host the 11th International Conference on Mobility and Transport for Elderly and Disabled Persons (TRANSED), to be held June 18-21, 2007 at the Palais des congrès de Montréal under the theme "Benchmarking, Evaluation and Vision for the Future". The Honorary President for this event will be Lise Thibault, Lieutenant Governor of Quebec.

TRANSED: a large-scale international event

Held every three years since 1978, the TRANSED conference attracts researchers, consumers, policy-makers, transport operators and other specialists from around the world. This international conference has been held in different countries, including England, the United States, Sweden, France, Australia, and Poland. Japan was the host of the last conference in 2004, which attracted over 350 participants from 32 countries on five continents. This year, Canada will be hosting TRANSED for the second time. Twenty years ago, in 1986, the conference was held in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The conference will deal with research advances, international achievements, and technological innovations to address mobility issues in an aging population and among persons with disabilities, in the context of an inclusive society. There will also be an exhibition, giving participants an overview of innovations in the field of adapted transportation, and their applications.

Some 270 presentation proposals from no fewer than 38 countries were submitted to the TRANSED secretariat. The subjects raised at the conference range from forward-looking policy and legislation to intelligent transportation systems (ITS) to safe mobility for seniors.

Don’t miss it!

The TRANSED conference is a not-to-be-missed event for anyone who is interested in technological developments in accessible transportation. Sharing experiences will help Canada, and all the other countries, develop new strategies to enable seniors and persons with disabilities to maintain their independence and participate fully in everyday life just like any other citizen.

To learn more, visit the conference website at www.tc.gc.ca/TRANSED 2007/.