A Busy Weekend Ahead
This morning, as I sipped my coffee, I sighed. My weekend will be busy - Saturday and Sunday will be spent completing a First Aid and CPR course with my partner. I'm already feeling tired just thinking about it.
Shifting My Perspective
But then I stopped myself. I asked, “How can I look at this differently? What are the positives?”
I realized how easy it is for me to take any course I want. I just sign up, pay, and attend. That’s it. But what about my friends and colleagues with disabilities?
Accessibility Barriers for People with Disabilities
My friend Joe, who uses a wheelchair, faces many challenges. He has to ask: How will I get there? Will the building have a ramp and accessible washrooms? Is there an elevator? Will the snow be shoveled enough to navigate the sidewalk?
My Deaf colleague has different challenges. She doesn’t need ramps, but she needs to understand the instructor. Lip-reading is hard, especially in hands-on courses like First Aid and CPR. An accessible course would have a Deaf instructor who uses ASL or provides interpreters, if ASL is the way the Deaf person communicates. But there is no standard in Alberta to ensure this service is available.
And what about someone on the autism spectrum? Could the classroom setting be adapted for them?
Understanding Accessibility
We often talk about accessibility without fully understanding it. It’s not only about buildings. It means everyone, regardless of ability, can take that First Aid and CPR course—not just people like me.
The Current State of Accessibility in Alberta
In 2022, 59% of Albertans with disabilities reported barriers to accessibility in public spaces, and those were just what was reported. A survey conducted by Deaf & Hear Alberta in 2023 showed that 50% of Deaf and hard-of-hearing Albertans surveyed were denied access to an ASL interpreter. If you work with people with disabilities, you hear many firsthand accounts of barriers they face, often, on a daily basis.
Why Alberta Needs an Accessibility Act
Alberta is one of the last provinces in Canada without an Accessibility Act. Unlike human rights laws, accessibility laws require organizations to meet set standards. These standards are created by committees that include people with disabilities.
The Impact of Accessibility
When organizations improve accessibility, people with disabilities have more opportunities. They can participate in their communities, find meaningful jobs, use services, take public transportation, and access public spaces and businesses.
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