Disability advocates and Alberta’s Opposition NDP is calling on Premier Danielle Smith’s government to up its game when it comes to accessibility, saying it’s about dignity.
Alberta is one of just two provinces to not have overarching accessibility legislation and standards, which critics say continues to be a blemish on the province.
The NDP is trying to fix that through a private member’s bill, which aims to have the government form a committee to create standards for most aspects of daily life, including public transit, employment accommodations and access to services like health care.
Advocates like Bean Gill and Zachary Weeks, speaking at an NDP news conference Tuesday, told reporters they hope it gets through even though private members’ bills rarely if ever get passed in the legislature.
A sudden spinal cord injury left Gill paralyzed over a decade ago, causing her to use a wheelchair.
“It’s stuff that everybody takes for granted — that I took for granted from my 30 years of being able-bodied — being able to step over a curb, being able open a door, being able to access places and services without a second thought,” Gill said.
“Now it requires six or seven thoughts before I even get out of my car.”
Gill said the challenges extend to such mundane but fundamental tasks as using a public washroom.
Sometimes there are no options, she said, or if there are, it’s not very accessible.
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“When I find a door that I have to go up a ramp to get to and pee my pants pushing myself up a ramp that’s not to code, I lose my dignity,” Gill said.
“It’s really, really frustrating being on this side of the ball, not really having any power, but always still getting up, smiling, getting dressed, getting out of your house and doing the thing anyway,” Gill said.
“This life is not for the faint-hearted.”
Weeks, an Edmonton-based accessibility consultant and advocate who also uses a wheelchair, agreed with Gill.
“A lot of people don’t even know what dignity looks like anymore,” Weeks said.
“We are the only minority group that you can join at any time. So people with dignity now may not have that dignity later if we do not pass this bill right away.”
Marie Renaud, the NDP’s assisted living critic, introduced the bill. She said existing accessibility measures in Alberta are done piecemeal or in response to complaints.
She wants the government needs to take the initiative. She said broad standards would cover “basic things” like having government documents be made compatible with screen readers for those who are visually impaired and having those who know sign language available in hospitals.
“This is the work that Alberta needs to start. We’re so far behind already,” she said.
The committee the bill would form would feature a majority of members who live with disabilities, as well as law experts and people who support those with disabilities.
Asked about the bill, Assisted Living Minister Jason Nixon told reporters he has concerns.
He noted it wouldn’t include input from businesses or the Municipal Affairs Ministry, which is responsible for building codes in the province.
Nixon also said he didn’t like the idea of having the committee separate from government, “which would not allow the elected legislature to obviously have a say in the process.”
He added, “We want to continue to make sure that Alberta is an accessible place (but) most of what I would say is good in the bill, we already do,” he said.
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