Saskatoon resident recounts difficulties with accessibility
Debbie Windsor thinks the City of Saskatoon needs to do a better job of ensuring a level playing field for disabled people in the community.
Windsor, who has used a wheelchair for most of her life, appeared before city council’s finance committee on Tuesday to try to explain the barriers she faces in trying to get a job.
Those barriers include unreliable transportation and accessibility to various buildings, including educational institutions.
“Nobody is going to hire me knowing that I’m at such a disadvantage,” Windsor told the committee.
She said one way the city could lead is by hiring more people with disabilities. Of all of its workplace diversity goals, city hall lags the worst on meeting its target for employing people who identify as disabled. They made up 3.7 per cent of city staff in December, well short of the goal of 12.4 per cent.
“How and when is the city going to address this shortfall?” Windsor asked.
She said the city’s Access Transit service for people with mobility issues is unreliable and underfunded. Over the last 27 years, Saskatoon has received $7 million less for disabled transit funding than Regina, Windsor said.
The committee opted to have the administration investigate how the city could better address some of the issues Windsor raised. The city will study whether Saskatoon has received less money in disabled transit funding than Regina and other communities.
Windsor submitted a copy of a speech outlining her concerns to the committee and a 12-page plan to address her concerns.
She said disabled people can face barriers trying to get an education in Saskatoon so they can get better jobs because educational institutions are not all accessible for disabled people.
The unreliability of public transit also hinders their ability to attend classes on time, she said.
Windsor called on the city to implement more stringent building codes to ensure access for people with physical handicaps, and better enforcement.
Specifically, she said bylaws ensuring the protection of heritage properties should not be used to justify a lack of access for disabled people.
Windsor said she does not trust organizations that advocate for disabled people since they are generally made up of “able-bodied” people who do not necessarily understand the challenges.
Even speaking before city council or a committee can be difficult because those who wish to do so are required to submit a form either online or in person, Windsor said.
In an interview, Windsor said she grew up on the west side of the city but had to get up at 5 a.m. every morning to travel to Holy Cross High School because it was the only accessible high school.