B. Checking in

When you check in, confirm that you will receive the services you requested when you bought your ticket. If you had asked your transportation company to detail the arrangements in writing, bring the document with you in case anything isn't clearly understood by the staff at the counter.

You can ask the staff to help you through the terminal all the way to your seat on board. If you have a service animal, ask to be guided to an area where it can relieve itself, if necessary.

1. Mobility aids

If you use a power wheelchair or other mobility aid, your transportation company may need time to prepare it properly for the trip. Somewhere between check-in and boarding, you may need to transfer to a boarding wheelchair. You can ask to delay this as long as possible, and, if necessary, ask for help to make your way to the boarding gate. You may ask how your mobility aid will be secured and stored on board.

A railway may ask you to transfer to a smaller wheelchair if your mobility aid won't fit into the rail car. Trains also have limited wheelchair tie-downs, and not all trains have baggage cars to store your mobility aid. You might have to transfer to a seat, or take another train if your chair is too large. These are reasons why you would be wise to ask how the railway can meet your needs well before you travel.

2. Security screening

You may have to go through a security screening process depending on the type of travel. Screening officers may want to see your boarding pass, and they may ask to see prescriptions if you bring your medications on board. Keep your passport, boarding pass, prescriptions and any other additional documents close at hand.

In Canadian airports, it is the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) officers who screen passengers entering the secure zones and boarding areas. For more information see Section VII: Useful information sources.