Accessing opportunity
Business owners told accessibility makes economic sense
Making Nova Scotia more accessible is not only good for those with disabilities but it makes solid economic sense as well, according to the head of Nova Scotia’s Accessibility Directorate.
“What a lot of people don’t realize in Nova Scotia is that 20 per cent of our population has a disability,” Gerry Post explained to a group of business owners at a meeting on Friday. “We’re the highest in Canada and it’s growing. (Statistics Canada) project it to be 31 per cent by 2026.”
Post was in Sydney to explain why Cape Breton business owners should take advantage of the new Small Business ACCESS-Ability Program launched last December which has already given out $900,000 in assistance. Starting April 1 of this year, the program has another $1 million to help small businesses make their businesses more accessible to those with disabilities.
So far only one business has applied from the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, and local advocates would like to see that number rise. Businesses can apply for funding to pay up to 66 per cent of a capped amount for each approved project. The caps range from $50,000 for construction/renovation projects, $30,000 for accessible communication services, $30,000 for provision of assistive devices and $40,000 for accessible transportation projects.
It’s all part of an effort to make Nova Scotia more accessible to everyone by 2030.
“For a long, long time, helping people with disabilities was seen as a community service — well it’s not — it’s our human right,” said Post, 68, an urban planner who was paralyzed from the waist down five years ago from an aortic dissection, making a wheelchair necessary for his own mobility. Since then, he has devoted his life to making this province more accessible to everyone.
“If you read the Human Rights Act, nationally and provincially, we have a right to have full access to services from government and others as well.”
One of those business owners hoping to take advantage of the program is Josh Rambeau of Gateway Transit in North Sydney. His taxi service features a wheelchair accessible van that’s proving to be much more popular than expected.
“I noticed a lot of people required this service so I saw the opportunity and I was fortunate enough to secure a wheelchair accessible van and we tried it out to see if there was a demand for it and it turns out there is a great demand for it,” said Rambeau, who hopes to eventually expand his service across Cape Breton.
He says the difference between his company and the government-provided HandiTrans is that you can book a trip with little notice.
“The people who use our service are very appreciative of it.”
Rose and Warren Burke are the owners of FAST Furniture in Sydney, a company that’s ready to celebrate its 43rd year in business.
They want to install upgrades that will make their Disco Street store more accessible but the high costs of doing so has held them back. They’re hopeful this program will allow them to make those changes.
“We don’t have the automatic swing doors and we don’t have larger parking spots and we need a bathroom that is accessible for wheelchairs or even mothers with strollers. We also have a ramp going from one level to another but we would like to have something more substantial in place for the people who want to come in,” explained Rose Burke. “So, when I saw the grant that was available I was very interested.
“Hopefully we’ll get some financial support from this.”
Post believes making Nova Scotia more accessible works for everyone because being more accessible opens the doors to more visitors and customers as the population ages.
“When you are disabled, as I discovered, you don’t roll or walk alone,” he said. “Whenever I go to a business or a restaurant I usually bring a family member or a friend. If you include just direct family members of people with disabilities, we’re talking 540,000 Nova Scotians so over half our population is somehow affected by disabilities.
“That’s why it makes business sense to make your business accessible.”