Moovit and Toronto Developmental Service Agencies Launch Program to Increase Transit Rider Independence
"Discover My Route" Helps Adults with an Intellectual or Developmental Disability (IDD) Travel Easier in Toronto.
SAN FRANCISCO and TORONTO, Jan. 15, 2019 /CNW/ - Adults in Toronto with an intellectual or developmental disability (IDD) will be able to use public transit more independently through a new app called Discover My Route. The app provides trip planning, real-time arrival information, and GPS-style step-by-step directions including "Get Off Notifications" that let the rider know when their stop is coming. Customized to meet each person's needs, this app will enable people with an IDD to take transit with greater ease and confidence.
To develop this solution, Moovit, a leading Mobility as a Service (MaaS) provider and the #1 public transit app in the world, partnered with a number of Greater Toronto Area organizations that support children, youth and adults with an Intellectual or developmental disability. The app is part of a broader public transit training program for people with an IDD in Toronto. The 18-month pilot program includes in-class instruction to teach safety and transit skills and one-on-one field training to learn a transit route of the participant's choice. The smartphone app, powered by Moovit, was created to help participants with their training and help coach them during their travels.
"Moovit is passionate about making public transit accessible for all," said Moovit VP of Worldwide Sales Frank Kopas. "We're excited to work with the great team at Community Living Toronto to provide Moovit's simple-to-use technology for people with an IDD. Discover My Route will help thousands of individuals gain self-confidence to ride public transit, allowing them greater opportunities to participate in their community."
"Discover My Route will open an exciting world of opportunities for adults with an intellectual disability in Toronto," said Community Living Toronto Director of Resource Development and Marketing Angela Bradley. "Thanks to funding through the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services in the province of Ontario, and the hard work of the Moovit team to develop this custom app, we are delighted we can make a difference in Toronto."
"Greater freedom and the confidence to get around in their communities is key to helping people with disabilities lead full lives. Through partners like Community Living Toronto, we support innovative and creative solutions that create new possibilities for people with disabilities and their families," said Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services.
After completion of the pilot on March 31, 2019, Discover My Route will be offered by a number of Developmental Services agencies.
For more information click here: www.discovermyroute.com
About Moovit
Moovit (www.moovit.com) is a leading Mobility as a Service (MaaS) provider and the world's #1 transit app. Moovit simplifies your urban mobility all around the world, making getting around town via transit easier and more convenient. By combining information from public transit operators and authorities with live information from the user community, Moovit offers travelers a real-time picture, including the best route for the journey. Named Best Local App by Google in 2016 and one of Apple's Best Apps of 2017, Moovit launched in 2012 and now has 330 million users.
Moovit amasses up to four billion anonymous data points a day to add to the world's largest repository of transit data. The data gathering is aided by Moovit's network of more than 500,000 local editors called "Mooviters." These passionate users help map and maintain local transit information in cities that would otherwise be unserved. Mooviters account for 65 percent of the hundreds of cities Moovit opens every year and make Moovit the Wikipedia of Transit.
Moovit is an early pioneer of Mobility as a Service (MaaS). The company helps people change the way they consume mobility by fully integrating other forms of transport, such as local bicycle services, into its app. In 2017 Moovit launched its suite of MaaS solutions to help cities, governments and transit operators improve urban mobility in their cities.
Moovit is available for free on iOS, Android and the Web in more than 2,700 cities, across 87 countries, and can be used in 44 languages. More than 100 cities and global events, including Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Olympics, have made Moovit their official transit app.
About Community Living Toronto
Since 1948 Community Living Toronto has been a leader in developing community-based services and supports for people with an intellectual disability and their families. One of the largest organizations of its kind in Canada, Community Living Toronto provides services and support to over 4,000 people and their families across Toronto. Our mission is to foster inclusive communities by supporting the rights and choices of people with an intellectual disability. More information: www.communitylivingtoronto.ca
About Discover My Route
Discover My Route is a travel training program designed to teach people 18 years of age and older with an Intellectual or Developmental Disability (IDD) how to use public transit independently in Toronto. The program has been created in partnership with Community Living Toronto, Community Access to Transportation Hamilton, Geneva Centre, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Kerry's Place Autism Services, Salvation Army Lawson Ministries, and the Toronto Transit Commission with a two year grant from the Ministry of Children Community and Social Services' Employment and Modernization Fund.
SOURCE Community Living Toronto
Media contact: Kate Azima, E: [email protected]; Media contact: Matthew Poirier, M: 416-319-7016 | E: [email protected]
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