Home-safety standards repealed for the developmentally disabled
Alberta Human Services has repealed a series of proposed home safety regulations for persons with developmental disabilities after public consultations found the rules too restrictive, expensive and uncomfortable.
After hearing from over 2,000 Albertans connected to the PDD community, Minister Irfan Sabir admitted that many stressed serious concerns with the new regulations proposed by the previous government and set to take effect this spring.
They included rezoning properties from residences to “facilities” or “institutions” and implementing strict new rules from installing sprinkler systems, to regulating tap water temperatures or posting emergency and exit signs.
“We have heard the disability community loud and clear, and we will continue working to ensure we get this right. Everyone deserves to live safely, and our government is committed to listening to Albertans and ensuring that the dignity of persons with developmental disabilities is upheld.”
Sabir said the ministry’s next steps will be to continue consulting stakeholders to see what, if any, new regulations are in fact necessary.
Clova Lehr, with the Alberta Council of Disability Services, applauded the repeal and consultation process calling it “the best move the province could have possibly made.”
She explained safety will still be paramount, but in a more realistic and achievable way.
“A home needs to look like and feel like a home, you don’t need to be looking at an exit sign,” she stressed.
“We want support to be in the background, and real living to be up front.”
Ryan Geake, executive director with the SCOPE Society, which advocates on behalf of the PDD community in Calgary, agreed the proposed regulations were brought in too hastily and threatened people’s basic rights to rent and own affordable homes.
“Many of these people have limited incomes, they’re on AISH (Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped), and affordable housing is hard to find.
“But these regulations would make it really difficult for landlords, and neighbours would complain about the rezoning,” he added, explaining that landlords were already making eviction plans ahead of the proposed regulations set to kick in this month.
“This is when it starts to become a basic human rights issue.”
Officially, the minister repealed the Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) Safety Standards Regulation Friday in response to input collected between Feb. 18 and March 14, received through open houses and online questionnaires.
Advocates along with the ministry stressed that in spite of the regulations being repealed, several safety standards will still remain in place within the contracts of in-home caregivers who receive funding assistance.
Those include adherence to accreditation standards set out by the Alberta Council of Disability Services, which specify safety obligations and procedures, as well as safety code legislation, including building and fire codes.
Home inspections, however, will now only occur based on a referral, complaint or incident.
Ric McIver, interim leader of the Alberta Tories, says while he’s optimistic persons with developmental disabilities will remain safe in their homes, he would still like to see regular inspections.
“Even for the best facilities, it’s nice to get that good report card, and for those that need improvements that will only benefit the clients that deserve the best care possible.”
The former PC government drafted a new set of standards in 2013 that it said would enhance the safety of persons living with developmental disabilities. The new rules were proposed in part as a response to the 2007 death of a 43-year-old woman with Down syndrome who did not escape a fire that broke out inside her Edmonton group home.
They were to come into force on April 1. But advocates said some of those standards put an undue burden on homeowners, caregivers and renters. The PDD safety standards apply to any residential facility that has regularly scheduled overnight staff that houses two or more adults who aren’t related.
In September, Sabir extended the deadline for implementing the new housing standards to March 31 because of the concerns within the community and set up the consultation process.