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Accessibility Advocate Draws Attention to Issues with Spring Garden Road Development Work

Michael Gorman, CBC News
Posted: Sep 23, 2022

Frustration is an all too familiar feeling for Gus Reed as he navigates the streets of Halifax.

For years, the accessibility advocate has brought attention to barriers people face as they make their way through Nova Scotia.

That could be trying to use the bathroom in restaurants housed in buildings constructed years before people took into account that not everyone can navigate steps, or just trying to move about in a city where new buildings seem to be going up on a weekly basis.

Accessibility Advocate Draws Attention to Issues with Spring Garden Road Development Work full article

Universal Design Takes Backseat in Architecture Education: Experts

By Makayla Morgan -September 19, 202293

Doors that swing silently open and hit you in the face. Guide rails through hazardous terrain that stop abruptly, leaving you stranded. Fire alarms that rely solely on the sound you cant hear.

Those are just some of the barriers that people with disabilities face when they try to navigate buildings, transit systems and other parts of our exclusionary built environment. Even in recent city developments, such as Ottawas LRT system, blind passengers are left fumbling to find the train doors.

Universal Design Takes Backseat in Architecture Education: Experts full article

Disability Minister Promises to Correct ‘Long-Standing Problem’ of Airlines Damaging Mobility Aids

Disability advocate’s wheelchair found ‘totally damaged’ after Air Canada flight last week CBC News
Posted: Sep 17, 2022

Canada’s federal minister of disability inclusion is promising to help reform air travel for people with disabilities after a Toronto advocate’s wheelchair was “totally damaged” while in the care ofAir Canada employees.

CBC Toronto told Maayan Ziv’s story last weeksoon after
she foundher $30,000wheelchair broken after landing in Israel for an international accessibility conference last Thursday.

The minister, Carla Qualtrough,responded to the story this week, callingthe incident anexample of a”long-standing problem” withairlines mistreating people with disabilities and their mobility devices.

Disability Minister Promises to Correct ‘Long-Standing Problem’ of Airlines Damaging Mobility Aids full article

2022 Philanthropic Contest – $500,000 IN Donations for Charities Supporting People With Disabilities

NEWS PROVIDED BY iA Financial Group
Sep 14, 2022

QUEBEC CITY, Sept. 14, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ – On the strength of the contest’s success the last five years and the important contributions made to Canadian communities, iA Financial Group is bringing back its Canada-wide philanthropic contest for the sixth year.

From September 14 to October 14, iA is inviting charities that have a mission, or a component of their mission, dedicated to supporting people with disabilities* and their communities by answering the question, “What would you do with a donation of $100,000?” The charities with the most inspiring submissions will share a $500,000 donation to develop their projects or continue their missions.

2022 Philanthropic Contest – $500,000 IN Donations for Charities Supporting People With Disabilities full article

Toxic Travel Chaos Impacts People With Disabilities

Caroline CaseyContributor
Sep 5, 2022

Everyone is talking about travel, whether this is the frequent rail strikes in the UK, the many delays and flight cancellations due to the lack of staff or the travel chaos caused by issues at borders. This can be hugely frustrating and has a debilitating effect on all travelers.

Regardless of the post COVID build back, current politics and the consequential obstacles presented in travel, if you have a disability, travelling is regularly a difficult and humiliating experience. Consider the 1.3 billion people with a disability of some sort – 80% of which are invisible – who regularly struggle with travel and so often have their dignity and independence challenged. The National Travel Survey for 2020 found that disabled adults made on average 28% fewer trips than non-disabled adults.

Toxic Travel Chaos Impacts People With Disabilities full article

Call for Proposals Launched to Increase Disability Inclusion and Accessibility in Communities, Workplaces and Early Learning and Child Care Facilities

NEWS PROVIDED BY
Employment and Social Development Canada
Sep 07, 2022

Organizations have until November 1 to apply for funding for infrastructure and communication technology projects

GATINEAU, QC, Sept. 7, 2022 /CNW/ – Persons with disabilities must be able to access spaces, communities, and workplaces that are barrier-free and built to include everyone. For this reason, the Government of Canada continues to invest in programs that prioritize disability inclusion, increasing accessibility and the full participation of persons with disabilities.

Call for Proposals Launched to Increase Disability Inclusion and Accessibility in Communities, Workplaces and Early Learning and Child Care Facilities full article

Vancouver EV Driver Leads Charge for Better Disability Access at Stations

B.C. Hydro on Friday announced it will be retrofitting all of its charging stations over three years so that drivers who use wheelchairs can have better access. Author of the article:Tiffany Crawford
Publishing date:Sep 02, 2022

Fifteen years ago, Yaletown resident Jacques Courteau passed out during a heat wave while riding his motorcycle in New York.

The resulting crash left him paralyzed from the waist down, and while he no longer races motorcycles as a hobby, he has developed a passion for high-performance electric vehicles.

The trouble is that very little thought has gone into EV charging stations when it comes to disability access.

Vancouver EV Driver Leads Charge for Better Disability Access at Stations full article

B.C. Orders More Than 750 Public Sector Organizations to Form Accessibility Committees

More than 926,000 British Columbians live with a disability, according to the province Baneet Braich , CBC News
Posted: Sep 02, 2022

The B.C. government is requiring certain public-sector organizations to establish their own accessibility committees to reduce barriers for people living with disabilities, effective Sept 1.

The organizations include school districts, post-secondary institutions, public libraries and local governments.

“The focus is on making our province more inclusive because a barrier-free B.C. is a stronger B.C.,” the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction said in a statement.

More than 926,000 British Columbians live with a disability, according to the province.

B.C. Orders More Than 750 Public Sector Organizations to Form Accessibility Committees full article

Thousands of People With Disabilities are Waiting for An Accessible Home in B.C.

Long waits are forcing many to live in homes without accessible bathrooms or kitchens, advocate says Baneet Braich, CBC News
Posted: Sep 01, 2022

Kyle Jacques has one wish before his 29th birthday this month – to find an accessible home.

Jacques uses a wheelchair and has spent the past nine months looking for an affordable, accessible home in Vancouver. At his current rental, he grapples with everyday tasks such as getting his wheelchair inside the house, cooking a meal and using the bathroom.

“Some days I feel hopeless, other days I just keep pushing. I’m really trying to find something, but that’s difficult,” said Jacques, adding that he has contacted community groups and B.C. Housing for help.

Thousands of People With Disabilities are Waiting for An Accessible Home in B.C. full article

After Months Stuck in Her Bedroom, St. John’s Woman Finally Moves Into Accessible Apartment

Garrett Barry, CBC News
Posted: Aug 30, 2022

A St. John’s woman who spent months stuck in her bedroom is finally stretching her legs – in a new apartment in the city.

Phyllis Churchill, a 65-year-old woman who has cerebellar ataxia, spent almost two years waiting for a more accessible apartment from the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation.

About two weeks ago, she got it – a basement apartment that, barring staircases in and out, means Phyllis can walk around on her own.

“It’s such a big improvement, because Mom can walk from here to the bathroom, to the bedroom,” said her daughter Samantha, who lives with her. “She’s doing a lot better.”

After Months Stuck in Her Bedroom, St. John’s Woman Finally Moves Into Accessible Apartment full article

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