PUSH Northwest encouraging public to comment on provincial act

A local organization working to remove barriers for disabled people is encouraging the public to comment on the province’s new disability act.

Persons United for Self Help in Northwestern Ontario program director Amy Vaillant said the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act is an attempt to make disability legislation in Ontario more cohesive. Vaillant said PUSH Northwest is excited about the first-in-Canada legislation and hopes that the act is a step toward a federal disability act.

Regulations on employment, information and communication and transportation will make it easier for employers to understand and remove some duplicate legislation that currently exists.

"The government is basically just trying to integrate three standards into one to make it simpler and easier for people to understand," she said.

PUSH Northwest held an information workshop on the provincial act Tuesday at Confederation College. While the workshop was about informing the public about the proposed act, Vaillant said because public comment can be made until March 18, it’s also a chance to get feedback from the community.

Vaillant said one of the largest changes under the act would be compliance.

Fines are proposed for businesses failing to comply with accessibility standards, but PUSH would also like to see a complaint-based system to see if places comply with standards rather than have the organizations themselves report to government on compliance.

"What we would like to see is more of a complaints-based approach to compliance, but right now that’s not offered," Vaillant said.

Accessibility issues from hiring to lifts will be covered under the new act. Vaillant said compliance with new standards would be necessary by 2017, with some deadlines as early as 2012 under the act.