OC Transpo’s Travel Training Program featured in The Way We Move: Transporting Stories Online Series (presented by UITP, and produced by BBC StoryWorks Commerical Productions)

Target Audience: Featuring OC Transpo's Travel Training Program in The Way We Move online series, presented by UITP, and produced by BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions, allows us to reach local audiences including transit customers, residents, organizations, elected officials, and the accessibility community. It presents an opportunity to showcase the program to a national and international audience and the wider transportation industry. The online series will be promoted throughout the year around key awareness days/relevant industry events including the UITP Global Public Transport Summit in Barcelona, Spain. The accompanying 12-month ad campaign (with an estimated 60 million impressions) targets: Energy and fuel content readers, transportation industry workers, travelers, earth lovers, and engineers.

Strategy Objective:The objective of the film was to improve OC Transpo's image in the community by positioning the service as a community partner serving customers with disabilities through the Travel Training Program. It seeks to highlight the vital role that OC Transpo plays for the accessibility community in Ottawa by profiling a success story representative of the many persons in Ottawa with disabilities who have benefitted from the program. Telling Daniel's story and sharing how Travel Training helped him to feel comfortable and independent taking public transit is an opportunity to tell the story of how the program improves the lives not just of Travel Training participants but also that of their family and friends.

Situation Challenge: This series provided us an opportunity to address an information and awareness gap about OC Transpo's Travel Training Program, which teaches people with disabilities and seniors to use transit safely and independently. The program is delivered by school boards, hospitals, day programs and other agencies serving persons with disabilities, in partnership with OC Transpo. Staff at these organizations are highly trained and have previous experience teaching street safety and other life skills. Every trainee has specific needs and learns differently. Their success depends on the expertise of community partners. Approximately 850 people graduate from the program every year. This highlights an amazing program offered by OC Transpo and gives it the promotion and appreciation it deserves.

Results Impact: The importance of this new series cannot be underestimated. The global reach, the important topics and the vital stories being told will bring the world of public transit to new audiences, and a whole new level. The online series will be promoted throughout the year around key awareness days/relevant industry events including the UITP Global Public Transport Summit in Barcelona, Spain from 4-7 June, 2023. The associated 12-month ad campaign for The Way We Move is estimated at 60 million impressions and will be an effective driver in increasing international awareness and attention to the Travel Training Program and accessible transit in Ottawa.

Why Submit: The Way We Move explores the central and meaningful role that public transit plays in our lives. Each film in the series highlights an innovative example of how access to public transit can impact quality of life. The film produced for OC Transpo by BBC StoryWorks for this series tells the story of Daniel, an Ottawa man who has Down syndrome and who has gained independence by learning to use transit through the Travel Training Program. OC Transpo is excited to see this important program shared with a global audience through the online series presented by the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) and produced by BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions.