The government of Saskatchewan has formed an accessibility advisory committee to help assess and improve accessibility in the province.
Accessibility is challenging, as each disability can require different accommodations.
“I am seeing strides in Saskatchewan,” said Bobbi Janzen, accessibility advisory committee member.
The committee is made up of a range of people from Saskatchewan who have a range of disabilities so that all aspects of accessibility are assessed, as what is accessible for people with one disability might not be for others.
“When thinking about accessibility, you’re always looking at, well, what is it that particular users might need to be able to do in order to access some particular product or service? And so you’re looking at the assumptions of your product or service. Am I assuming that someone’s going to come to this site and has good hearing?” said David Fourney, accessibility advisory committee member.
Janzen said the “accommodations are going to be absolutely different and very individualized because we don’t all require the same tools or the same elements to make something accessible.”
“It takes a lot of thought. It’s going to take a lot of work, but it’s definitely doable,” Janzen said.
Some of the issues people with disabilities have been sharing are a lack of transportation, education and entertainment.
“Saskatchewan does have a lot of issues. Like, for example, we have a lot of issues around publicly available transportation between cities. That’s always been a problem in this province,” Fourney said.
Janzen shared some of her personal experiences of lack of access.
“Education for me was a real barrier because it was not all described. Images for me are described in video. I have been disallowed due to the fact that I use a cane. They weren’t sure what that was. I’ve been disallowed due to having a guide dog not allowed to use, say, taxis or that kind of thing.”
Both Janzen and Fourney shared why they feel this committee is so important.
“The barriers that I face on a daily basis and through my lifetime was a big, big reason as to why I applied, as well as I came across a little boy actually in this park, and he was learning how to use a white cane. And he said to me, ‘When I grow up, I want to be like you.’ And that made me realize that I do want to be part of that change within this province,” Janzen said.
Fourney said that many people with disabilities must plan their lives in advance due to the accommodations they need, and he would like that to change.
“Most people with disabilities, unfortunately, have to plan their lives. We don’t get to just do something because, hey, I just heard 10 minutes ago about that. Let’s go do that. We don’t really have that opportunity. So that’s one of the areas where where I find it challenging.”
Fourney added that it is important to advocate and think of accessibility because you never know when you or someone you love will need it.
“Every one of us has the potential to be a person with disabilities, either as a younger person or a child, or that adult, or as an elderly person, as a retiree,” Fourney said. “Here’s someone who is a grandma, a grandmother or great-grandmother. So that’s the real challenge. Disability impacts. Disability is the true intersectional issue.”
Accessibility can vary around the province and is not always great.
“What I can say is that an accessible Saskatchewan is different depending on where in Saskatchewan you live,” Fourney said.
Janzen advised those looking to access a place that might not be accessible to advocate for themselves or their friends and family.
“It never hurts to ask. Use your voice and educate,” Janzen said.