Rural Albertans with disabilities positioned to benefit from accessibility legislation, NDP says

Accessibility is often influenced by geography, say advocates for legislation to improve the lives of Albertans with disabilities in all corners of the province. David J. Mitchell/Alamy

The UCP may be misreading the needs of rural Albertans with disabilities, said a shadow cabinet minister planning to introduce an accessibility bill this session.

Accessibility limitations can be particularly acute in rural Alberta because of travel distances, limited infrastructure and the centralization of services in larger centres, said Marie Renaud, the NDP's community and social services critic.

She noted that delivery of government services often involves filling out online forms, which means a lack of reliable internet in some rural areas compounds obstacles for people with disabilities.

"Maybe part of this government's hesitation is the thinking that this (legislation) is focused on big cities. But I think if we get this right and pass this legislation, rural Alberta is where we're going to see the biggest improvements," she said.

Jason Nixon, the minister of seniors, community and social services, said Renaud is wrong about the government's mindset.

"The speculation by the opposition is not true," Nixon said in an emailed statement to The Macleod Gazette.

"As previously stated, we have and will continue to consult with members of the disability community and service providers from both urban and rural areas."

Nixon, the member for Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre, held two roundtables last fall with disability advocates, members of the disability community, and urban and rural service providers.

The government announced updates last month to the provincial accessibility guide.

Capturing advancements since the publication of a 2017 predecessor, the revised guide addresses things like limited-mobility stalls and power access doors for public washrooms, visual alarms in sleeping areas, companion seating and safe access routes to and from buildings.

Renaud said the updates are part of a larger accessibility story the government needs to tackle through overarching legislation.

Design guidelines don't address many of the accessibility issues that limit Albertans and their province from reaching their full potential.

Accessibility legislation increases incomes, expands the tax base and increases the gross domestic product.

"It's just good for the economy," said Renaud, who's developing a private member's bill on accessibility.

The delivery and design of services are addressed in the many templates for accessibility legislation Alberta can draw upon, she said.

"The first thing you have to do is look, geographically, at what the different barriers are for people with disabilities. They're very different in Edmonton than they are in La Crete, for example," said Renaud.

Simply because there are more services available nearby, Albertans have better access in large and mid-sized cities, she said.

Alberta needs "a framework that encompasses everything," said Renaud. "Accessibility legislation doesn't just look at the built environment. It includes all kinds of things, like education, employment, procurement, information and technology. It also looks at how we develop and deliver the programs that government offers."

She continued: "Without it, we're sort of left with making investments here and there, and we have absolutely no framework to manage or evaluate progress."

About a quarter of Canadians live with at least some level of disability.

Canada's Employment Equity Act classifies a person with a disability as "any person who has a long-term or reoccurring physical, mental, sensory, psychiatric, or learning impairment and who considers themselves to be disadvantaged in employment by reason of that impairment."

The Canadian Human Rights Act says "any previous or existing mental or physical disability" qualifies, adding that disability includes "disfigurement and previous or existing dependence" on alcohol or drugs.

Statistics Canada defines person with a disability as "a person whose daily activities are limited as a result of an impairment or difficulty with particular tasks."

In 2022, Statistics Canada found that about eight million Canadians, or 27 per cent of the population aged 15 or older, reported having at least one disability.

That's about twice the percentage reported 10 years earlier.

The province said that in 2022 the percentage for Alberta was more than 21 per cent.

Applied to today's population of about five million people, that works out to more than a million people.

Renaud puts the number at about 1.3 million.

Through the Accessible Canada Act of 2019, the federal government is pushing for a barrier-free Canada by 2040.

A spokesperson for Nixon's ministry said in an emailed statement for an earlier Gazette story that accessibility continues to be a government priority.

"Government is taking a thoughtful approach to improving accessibility for people with disabilities as there are far-reaching implications and it's important we get things right," said press secretary Alysha Wishloff.

"Currently, accessibility measures are included in several places, such as the building codes, the Human Rights Act, and other policies of government."

The ministry is reviewing findings and recommendations from the 2023 report of the Office for the Advocate Persons with Disabilities, she said.

"Alberta's government wants to make sure any changes to improve accessibility across the province are well-informed."