Select committee on accessibility not very accessible, advocates say

A call for submissions to the legislature's select committee on accessibility in New Brunswick wasn't very friendly to people with disabilities, according to advocates. 

The committee asked for submissions about accessibility, but disabilities advocate Abby Bourque-Coyle said time was limited to get the submissions in, and the committee required them to be in writing, making it difficult for some people with disabilities.

Accepting written briefs only — and in either French or English — left many people out, she said.

"They're asking, 'How can things be made better?'" said Bourque-Coyle, of Dieppe. "But at the same time, even their format of asking people was not accessible, which is like a Catch-22.

"If you want to ask people with disabilities, you've got to give them time … because not everybody has access to the printed word." 

There were no options to send in the brief by phone, video or audio for people whose disability makes it difficult to write or people who use sign language.

Bourque-Coyle is visually impaired and, because of the time crunch, needed help to get her submission in over the busy holiday period. 

"I'm very well aware of how to submit a brief, and I should be able to do it, and in a way that's accessible," she said.

The committee opened for written submissions in mid-November, but didn't send out a news release until Dec. 3. The deadline was Dec. 31.

In October, the committee held hearings with advocacy groups.

Randy Dickinson, chair of the Premier's Council on Disabilities, defended the committee's approach.

"There was a full week of hearings that lasted all day each day, and each group set a time to make a presentation," he said.

Sees thorough process

Dickinson said the process has been thorough and accessible and that any issues could have been addressed. 

"If anybody had difficulties because of the particular disability they have, they would have the option, certainly, to contact their representative agency or group that works with that particular disability or to contact the committee, the legislative committee itself, to get a message, to communicate or to work through the Premier's Council on Disabilities."

Executive director of Ability NB, Haley Flaro gave a presentation in October. She said it was good to hear from experts and organizations doing the work, but the experience of the individual was missing. 

"As a disability organization, we're certainly pleased that subject-matter experts and provincial disability organizations were invited to participate," she said. 

"We do think it's important that more of the voices of people with experience are included, so making ways for that population to be able to make submissions, pose plain language questions, maybe video submissions."

The select committee will compile all the information gathered into recommendations that will go to the legislature. 

Personal experience important to advocate

Those first-hand experiences are vital to getting it right, said Flaro. 

"There's a diversity of people with disabilities in New Brunswick, and not all of them have agencies that they're members of, or advocate for," Flaro said. "So hearing the lived experience of people, it is just so important."

Saint Croix MLA Kathy Bockus, chair of the committee, said in an email that it "strove to accommodate all members of the public" who wanted to submit a brief and that anyone who didn't could still contact the committee. 

Bourque-Coyle would like at least a couple of things to change.

"Allow the time that it takes to do it properly, either through phone — I know, because of COVID, it's difficult — but phone, Skype, Teams, whatever different means. At least give it the opportunity so that people can give their opinions and their ideas on what is needed, because we're just giving from our experiences."