Access for All Nova Scotians

Access for All Nova Scotians Summary of the discussion paper An Invitation for Input on Accessibility Legislation

Imagine a Nova Scotia where each one of us … … can live in our own home for as long as we want … can enjoy parks and public spaces … can live life to the fullest

Imagine a Nova Scotia where everyone can be a part of our success.

We want to make Nova Scotia barrier-free – a place where everyone can enjoy the places, goods, services, and information that are meant for the public.

Accessibility legislation is one way we can make this happen. Through laws, regulations, standards, and policies Nova Scotia can be just as we imagine it. Why legislation?

As carpenters use hammers to build houses, governments use legislation to build societies. Legislation shapes the way we treat each other and our surroundings. We want our new accessibility legislation to open up places, goods, services, and information to all Nova Scotians.

How can I help?

We have some ideas but we want to hear from you. After reading this website, take a look at Access for All Nova Scotians: An Invitation for Input on Accessibility Legislation. Then give us your thoughts at one of the public consultation sessions to be held around the province in November and December or submit your comments online by Friday, December 12th.

Minister’s Advisory Panel on Accessibility Legislation

A panel and committees of 40 people from business and government has already looked at making Nova Scotia more accessible and has come up with some ideas. We want to share those ideas with you and get your thoughts.

The panel divided the proposed legislation into 8 parts and came up with some ideas for each:

1. Principles 2. Purpose

1 3. Application 4. Governance 5. Implementation 6. The role of government 7. Compliance 8. Incentives and penalties

For each part, we want to know:  Did the panel cover everything that needs to be covered?  Is there anything they forgot about?  What would you add?

1. Principles

Our new legislation should be in line with other laws that guide the way we treat others, including the following:  The Nova Scotia Human Rights Act  The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms  The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Nova Scotia should be barrier-free

 Nothing should keep any Nova Scotian from enjoying places, events, opportunities, and information that are meant for everyone.

 Removing barriers should be done in a way that works for everybody. For example, a gently sloping path invites everyone. A ramp at a back door divides people.

 You must remove the barriers you put up. That goes for the public and private sectors alike.

 All Nova Scotians have the right to make their own decisions and make their own way in the world.

2. Purpose

Nova Scotians have the right feel welcome where they live, work, and play. They must also have the freedom to live life to the fullest.

The panel looked at 5 areas where we can make this possible:  accessible information and communication  attitudes and public awareness

2  client service and public transportation  employment  the built environment

Accessible information and communication

Universal design should guide the way we convey information.

Where this is not possible, people should be given the technology, assistive technology, supports, and services they need to understand information.

Attitudes and public awareness

For our new legislation to be a success, we need the support, commitment, and participation of all Nova Scotians. Everyone has the right to understand what we are doing and why. We need to start a province-wide discussion about accessibility to promote a Nova Scotia that is truly open to all.

We will have to clearly communicate how we plan to meet each goal of our new accessibility legislation. We will continue to work with the public as these changes take shape.

Client services and public transportation

All Nova Scotians should be able to travel within the province using our current accessible transportation systems.

The new legislation will not govern travel by air, rail, or on ferries between provinces as these are under federal regulation. We will, however, do our best to link our services with those under federal regulation if this will improve access.

Government services and those funded by government must be available to all Nova Scotians.

Employment

Workplaces in Nova Scotia must be open, inclusive, and accessible.

Government can take the lead by ensuring people with disabilities are fairly represented in the public sector.

Employers must provide the following:

3  equal opportunities for hiring and advancement  equal pay for work of equal value  safe and healthy working conditions

Government can help employers by doing the following:  creating employment equity or affirmative action programs  providing training, job-retention, and return-to-work programs

Both government and the private sector can help people who choose to be self- employed or start their own businesses.

The built environment

The built environment includes the following:  all buildings  all pedestrian rights of way such as sidewalks, crosswalks, and paths  recreational areas such as ball fields, pools, and parks  privately owned homes

All of the above should be open to all Nova Scotians using the principles of universal design and visitability.

Homeowners will be encouraged to use universal design and visitability when renovating.

Government will include universal design and visitability in voluntary standards to be used by homebuilders when building or renovating.

3. Application: Who will be responsible for preventing or removing barriers?

You will have to obey the new legislation and follow the new standards if you do one or more of the following:

 provide information, goods, or services to the public  provide public transportation  employ people  own or manage a building, park, or outdoor space

The standards may also include exceptions – people or organizations that do not have to obey the legislation. These exceptions will be rare.

4. Governance: Whose job is it to make sure Nova Scotia becomes barrier-free?

4 It’s up to all of us to take down the barriers that prevent others from enjoying everyday activities. But we need someone to take the lead. This leader could be a board or committee who would report to the minister. The board would have 3 jobs:  develop new standards under the c new legislation  decide who will have to obey the new legislation and when  keep an eye on how the new legislation is working

There must be members of the disability community on this committee as we put the concept: “nothing about us without us” into action.

Any one of a number of government departments could be responsible for the new legislation. Some suggestions are  Justice  Community Services  Labour & Advanced Education  Economic & Rural Development and Tourism

Who should sit on the new board?  experts?  people from government, business, and the disability community?  rural and urban Nova Scotians?  people who represent Nova Scotia’s diverse population?

How should this new committee behave? Should it be independent of government?

5. Implementation: What standards should be set?

A set of standards would help us to prevent, find, and remove barriers to places, goods, services, and information. Government will not create these standards on its own. We need help from the disability community, businesses, employers, and members of the public, perhaps in the form of a working committee.

This committee should make sure of the following:  New standards will not be created where current standards are already doing the job.  Anyone who must meet a specific standard will be consulted.  Standards are updated to reflect changing needs or advances in technology.  Deadlines to meet standards will give people time to make the required changes and take into account the cost of doing so.  Standards will be flexible enough to allow for alternative solutions.

The public must be made aware of the progress being made.

5 6. Role of Government

It is up to the government to lead by example. Government must take down any barriers to the services it provides. This includes municipal governments.

7. Monitoring and compliance

We will have to watch closely how the new accessibility legislation is working and set up systems that will help us figure out who is obeying the new laws, etc. and how well they are doing so. Those systems must also show who does not obey the new laws and why. Here are some ways we can do that:

 Use a complaints-based system.  Set timelines for compliance and check progress, including why progress is not being made.  Create a checklist based on the principle of universal design.  Communicate clearly what needs to be done, when, and why.  Assess current public spaces and buildings to see if they meet the new standards. Set up timelines for improvement if they don’t.  Money must NOT be taken from other budgets to pay for this monitoring.

8. Incentives and penalties

We need both incentives and penalties to make our new accessibility legislation work. For example, organizations that comply fully with the new legislation could receive certification that tells others they are an accessible organization. Those who need to make costly changes could get GST or HST rebates. Those who refuse to comply could be fined.

At all times, the focus should be on removing and preventing barriers. All measures will be clearly communicated to the public and those who must comply with the new standards.

Your turn

What did we leave out? What would you include?

Please tell us at one of the following consultation sessions:

Place Date Time

Dartmouth Thurs. Nov. 13th 6:30-9:30 pm Cole Harbour Place

6 Wolfville Tues. Nov. 18th 6:30-9:30 pm Old Orchard Inn

Pointe de l’Église/Church Point* Wed. Nov. 19th 6:30-9:30 pm Université Sainte-Anne (sale 303, Édifice Gustave Blanche)

Yarmouth Thurs. Nov. 20th 6:30-9:30 pm NSCC Burridge Campus Room C181

Bridgewater Mon. Nov. 24th 6:30-9:30 pm Best Western

Truro Wed. Nov. 26th 6:30-9:30 pm Holiday Inn

Sydney (2 sessions) Thurs. Nov. 27th 4:00-6:30 pm Membertou Convention Centre 7:00-9:30 pm

Antigonish Fri. Nov. 28th 6:30-9:30 pm St. F.X. University

Amherst Mon. Dec. 1st 6:30-9:30 pm

Super 8 Motel

Halifax Wed. Dec. 3rd 4:30-7:30 pm World Trade and Convention Centre

*Cette séance déroulera en français. Si vous aimeriez participer mais que vous n'habitez pas dans cette région, vous pouvez également participer par vidéoconférence aux campus suivants de l'Université Sainte-Anne: Campus d'Halifax de l'Université Sainte-Anne (1589, rue Walnut); Campus de Petit-de-Grat (3433, route 206); Campus de Saint-Joseph-du-Moine (12521 Cabot Trail); Campus de Tusket (1 Slocumb Crescent).

You may make a presentation at any one of the above sessions. In your presentation, you should talk about the topics mentioned on this website or in Access for All Nova Scotians: An Invitation for Input on Accessibility Legislation.

You must register to make a presentation and submit your presentation before the session. Email Kerry Deagle or phone 902-424-3827.

When you submit your presentation, please include the following:  your name

7  the name of the organization you represent (if you represent one)  the session you plan to attend  your email address and phone number

If you cannot make it to one of the sessions but have something to say, submit your comments online or write to

Ms. Kerry Deagle Community Services 3rd Floor Nelson Place 5675 Spring Garden Road Halifax, NS, B3J 2T7

Glossary barrier – anything that prevents a person from enjoying a place, good, service, or information that is meant everyone. compliance – doing things according to a standard incentive – a reward for doing something legislation – a collection of laws, regulations, standards, and policies. standard – an ideal or model used to assess things universal design – the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design visitability – building design with a basic level of accessibility so that everyone can come into the building and use the washroom