Public transit is often described as the backbone of an inclusive city. But for many older racialized immigrants, getting on a bus can also mean navigating fear, confusion and humiliation.

Transit systems in Canadian cities are designed for English-speaking riders, and for immigrants, that’s not a minor inconvenience. It’s a barrier to independence and health access.

For an ongoing study I am a part of, we interviewed 54 older racialized immigrants and conducted four subsequent co-design workshops to engage seniors’ ideas about improving transit in the Ontario city of Hamilton. We found that language barriers shape far more than communication. They affect whether older adults can travel without assistance, access essential services and feel that they belong in the city at all.

This matters because Canadian cities are rapidly aging and becoming more diverse. According to Statistics Canada, immigrants make up nearly one-quarter of Canada’s population. Many older immigrants also arrive later in life with limited English proficiency.

In Hamilton, Arabic is now the most commonly spoken non-official language. Yet transit systems continue to operate largely as though all riders can easily read schedules, understand announcements and navigate digital apps in English.

The result is a hidden form of mobility exclusion.

A hidden mobility barrier

The study’s initial findings indicate that........

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