No repercussions for failure to comply with universal design standards, accessibility advocate says
Debby McLeod has strong opinions about the way in which the Accessibility for Manitobans Act has been enforced so far. The inaccessibility of some buildings leaves people with reduced mobility feeling like second class citizens.
McLeod is the Accessibility Coordinator with The Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities (MLPD) and a wheelchair user. In her role as an advocate, she breaks down barriers by educating the public about the issues people with reduced mobility face.
The Accessibility for Manitobans Act became law in 2013 to ensure that Manitobans with disabilities have equal access to every public place and opportunity. Its implementation by the Manitoba government has been slow.
“The act is just talk because there are no repercussions for building owners who don't comply with universal design standards. It's like saying, ‘Don't speed, but if you do, we won't do anything about it,’” McLeod said.
It could take another 10 years before these voluntary standards become mandatory. Many people with reduced mobility don't complain because they are used to inaccessibility said McLeod. She describes the situation as “very pathetic.”
St. James Massage Therapy Clinic on Portage Avenue, a building McLeod frequents doesn't measure up to the universal design standards, she said. Accessing the clinic by the main entrance requires climbing down a flight of stairs.
For people unable to, there is a ground-level entrance at the back of the building that staff can open from inside. “Technically they are complying with the standards, but they’re sending a very discriminatory message: I'm not good enough to go through the front door,” McLeod said.
“We only have one or two clients who use wheelchairs, and they don’t have an issue with entering through the back entrance,” Lindsay, a massage therapist at the clinic said in a phone interview. The other businesses on the second floor have no accessible entrance, according to Lindsay.
Upgrading buildings to meet universal design standards is expensive, and many building owners don't want to incur the cost. Making the entrance of St. James Massage Therapy Clinic accessible could cost as much as $20 000 for a ramp and $45 000 for a lift, according to Josh Friesen, a local builder.
“It’s up to building owners to be educated about universal design standards. Right now, codes are very basic. Does the building stand up and can people get out in a fire,” said David Kron, member of Barrier-Free Manitoba and Executive Director of Cerebral Palsy Association of Manitoba.
Barrier-Free Manitoba has made recommendations to the Manitoba government for stronger and quicker enforcement of these universal design standards. Progress is slow and a 2023 goal for implementing recommendations seems unlikely according to Kron.