The STM has launched a special program to enable people with physical or mental disabilities to travel independently using public transport.
The initiative was launched by Julie Cadieux, STM advisor and mother of Ludovic, a 17-year-old young man with a mild intellectual disability.
“At one point I asked Ludovic: ‘Do you want to be independent and move around the city alone?’ He told me: ‘Yes, I really have the taste!'” she told TVA Nouvelles.
“I tested it with my teenager, who really helped me improve the content and all that. The idea was to develop an approach, vocabulary and tools that could really engage learners,” she added.
Thanks to the inclusive mobility program Métropolitaine, Ludovic has been traveling by bus and subway in the Montreal region for two years.
“The first time Ludovic came home and had a complete journey behind him, the stars in his eyes, the pride. I won’t tell you, it’s extraordinary!” explains Julie Cadieux.
“It gives him power, it allows him to be a citizen in his own right, to do it like everyone else, to move like everyone else, when he wants, when he wants, and it gives him confidence in his abilities,” she adds added.
“I feel free, I feel autonomous. I’m proud of myself,” says Ludovic.
To date, nearly 420 people have been trained under this program. And by 2025, the STM predicts, at least 2,000 people will be able to travel completely independently.
To see the full report, watch the video above.