Group celebrates new accessibility legislation in Saskatchewan

A rally at the Saskatchewan Legislative Building on Monday celebrated the announcement of the provincial government’s disability accessibility legislation.

The Accessible Saskatchewan Act will help to prevent and remove accessibility barriers for people with disabilities. Brenda Edel, the president of Barrier Free Saskatchewan, said the group wants to see more opportunities created for people with disabilities in all aspects of life throughout the province.

“We’re wanting to see opportunities for people with disabilities within Saskatchewan in the workplace (and) in social environments so that when people are going places such as facilities, there’s no barrier for people using wheelchairs, and there’s no barrier for individuals who need other supports such as lighting, sound systems, that kind of thing,” Edel said.

“We were just wanting to make sure that everyone has a space in society.”

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As for the future, she said there’s still a lot more work to be done.

“We’ve got a lot of things to do,” Edel said. “Our main mandate has been solved (with the legislation), so we’re pretty excited, but we’re looking forward to making sure that we help individuals identify their barriers and remove them moving forward.”

The group has been lobbying the provincial government since 2016 for the legislation.

In a news release that announced the new legislation, Social Services Minister Gene Makowsky spoke about the number of people in Saskatchewan who are dealing with a form of disability.

“Accessibility ensures persons with disabilities are able to fully enjoy their communities,” Makowsky said. “Nearly one quarter of Saskatchewan residents experience disabilities, and this number is expected to rise as the population ages. This is why it is important to identify barriers to accessibility and plan for ways to overcome those barriers.”

The provincial government recognized Dec. 3 as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in partnership with Saskatchewan Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services. On the same day, the Accessible Saskatchewan Act came into effect.

The provincial government’s Accessible Saskatchewan Regulations also came into effect on Monday. They identify organizations that are prescribed as public-sector bodies.

Under the act, public sector bodies will have to develop and publicly post their own accessibility plans by Dec. 3, 2025. The provincial government plans to post its plan by Dec. 3, 2024, and share what it learns from its development.

“To meet this target, our government will engage the public on the current accessibility barriers they experience when accessing government services and facilities and then prioritize the actions government is going to take over the next three years to address these barriers,” Makowsky said in the release.

In September of this year, the Ministry of Social Services issued a call for applications to create the first Accessibility Advisory Committee.

The ministry received more than 150 applications for the committee, which will advise the government on the development of accessibility standards. At least half of the committee members are expected to be persons with disabilities or from organizations that represent and support people with disabilities.