N.S. holding accessibility consultation at Stellarton NSCC

Nova Scotia wants to become an accessible province by the year 2030. Today, people in Pictou County can find out a little bit about how the province will get to that point.

To get public opinion on that goal – and to keep the public apprised of that goal – the Government of Nova Scotia is holding a public engagement session from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the NSCC Pictou Campus to seek input from people with disabilities, business owners and post-secondary institutions.

“We want input on accessibility issues, how communities can contribute to an accessible Nova Scotia and any sectorspecific considerations,” reads information from the Government of Nova Scotia.

Jack Kyte, CEO of the Pictou County Chamber of Commerce, said the consultation taking place today is part of a plan the province is in the process of implementing, after legislation was passed last year, relating to accessibility.

“It’s fairly comprehensive legislation – it’s about accessibility and looking at that in a number of ways.

“It’s not just people with disabilities being considered – they’re also looking at seniors and anyone who might need a bit of extra help to be able to access buildings, information and services,” said Kyte.

The public consultation – the legislation related to it – is of potential importance to businesses, Kyte noted, because “if you run a business and your business is not accessible… you may have to do something to accommodate people who need a little extra help to get through the door,” whether that help be an automatic door opener, a ramp, “or other things related to accessibility or transportation.”

Speaking of transportation, Kyte said Pictou County is fortunate to have a resource like CHAD Transportation, since “it helps a lot of local citizens. In a lot of places in Nova Scotia, they’re not fortunate enough to have something like that.”

The effects of accessibility legislation on Chamber members and local businesses could vary, Kyte said, because “each business is different.

It’s important for business owners and managers to attend, and assess what it will mean for them.”

He said that since the legislation is very broad, it could mean some businesses may end up having to spend money to follow legislation – and it also could mean there are opportunities for some of those business to get funding to help them cover those costs.

Feedback from the information sessions will be used to develop and prioritize accessibility standards in the province.

Today’s public consultation is the next step after a consultation with people with disabilities and representatives of organizations that provide services to them.

“It’s fairly comprehensive legislation – it’s about accessibility and looking at that in a number of ways...”

Jack Kyte, CEO of the Pictou County Chamber of Commerce