Access for All Nova Scotians
Summary of the discussion paper An Invitation for Input on Accessibility Legislation
Imagine a Nova Scotia where each one of us …
… can live in our own home for as long as we want
… can enjoy parks and public spaces
… can live life to the fullest
Imagine a Nova Scotia where everyone can be a part of our success.
We want to make Nova Scotia barrier-free – a place where everyone can enjoy the
places, goods, services, and information that are meant for the public.
Accessibility legislation is one way we can make this happen. Through laws,
regulations, standards, and policies Nova Scotia can be just as we imagine it.
Why legislation?
As carpenters use hammers to build houses, governments use legislation to build
societies. Legislation shapes the way we treat each other and our surroundings. We
want our new accessibility legislation to open up places, goods, services, and
information to all Nova Scotians.
How can I help?
We have some ideas but we want to hear from you. After reading this website, take a
look at Access for All Nova Scotians: An Invitation for Input on Accessibility
Legislation. Then give us your thoughts at one of the public consultation sessions to
be held around the province in November and December or submit your comments
online by Friday, December 12th.
Minister’s Advisory Panel on Accessibility Legislation
A panel and committees of 40 people from business and government has already
looked at making Nova Scotia more accessible and has come up with some ideas. We
want to share those ideas with you and get your thoughts.
The panel divided the proposed legislation into 8 parts and came up with some
ideas for each:
1. Principles
2. Purpose
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3.
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Application
Governance
Implementation
The role of government
Compliance
Incentives and penalties
For each part, we want to know:
 Did the panel cover everything that needs to be covered?
 Is there anything they forgot about?
 What would you add?
1. Principles
Our new legislation should be in line with other laws that guide the way we treat
others, including the following:
 The Nova Scotia Human Rights Act
 The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
 The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Nova Scotia should be barrier-free
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Nothing should keep any Nova Scotian from enjoying places, events,
opportunities, and information that are meant for everyone.
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Removing barriers should be done in a way that works for everybody. For
example, a gently sloping path invites everyone. A ramp at a back door
divides people.
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You must remove the barriers you put up. That goes for the public and
private sectors alike.
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All Nova Scotians have the right to make their own decisions and make their
own way in the world.
2. Purpose
Nova Scotians have the right feel welcome where they live, work, and play. They
must also have the freedom to live life to the fullest.
The panel looked at 5 areas where we can make this possible:
 accessible information and communication
 attitudes and public awareness
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client service and public transportation
employment
the built environment
Accessible information and communication
Universal design should guide the way we convey information.
Where this is not possible, people should be given the technology, assistive
technology, supports, and services they need to understand information.
Attitudes and public awareness
For our new legislation to be a success, we need the support, commitment, and
participation of all Nova Scotians. Everyone has the right to understand what we are
doing and why. We need to start a province-wide discussion about accessibility to
promote a Nova Scotia that is truly open to all.
We will have to clearly communicate how we plan to meet each goal of our new
accessibility legislation. We will continue to work with the public as these changes
take shape.
Client services and public transportation
All Nova Scotians should be able to travel within the province using our current
accessible transportation systems.
The new legislation will not govern travel by air, rail, or on ferries between
provinces as these are under federal regulation. We will, however, do our best to
link our services with those under federal regulation if this will improve access.
Government services and those funded by government must be available to all Nova
Scotians.
Employment
Workplaces in Nova Scotia must be open, inclusive, and accessible.
Government can take the lead by ensuring people with disabilities are fairly
represented in the public sector.
Employers must provide the following:
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equal opportunities for hiring and advancement
equal pay for work of equal value
safe and healthy working conditions
Government can help employers by doing the following:
 creating employment equity or affirmative action programs
 providing training, job-retention, and return-to-work programs
Both government and the private sector can help people who choose to be selfemployed or start their own businesses.
The built environment
The built environment includes the following:
 all buildings
 all pedestrian rights of way such as sidewalks, crosswalks, and paths
 recreational areas such as ball fields, pools, and parks
 privately owned homes
All of the above should be open to all Nova Scotians using the principles of universal
design and visitability.
Homeowners will be encouraged to use universal design and visitability when
renovating.
Government will include universal design and visitability in voluntary standards to
be used by homebuilders when building or renovating.
3. Application: Who will be responsible for preventing or removing barriers?
You will have to obey the new legislation and follow the new standards if you do one
or more of the following:
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provide information, goods, or services to the public
provide public transportation
employ people
own or manage a building, park, or outdoor space
The standards may also include exceptions – people or organizations that do not
have to obey the legislation. These exceptions will be rare.
4. Governance: Whose job is it to make sure Nova Scotia becomes barrier-free?
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It’s up to all of us to take down the barriers that prevent others from enjoying
everyday activities. But we need someone to take the lead. This leader could be a
board or committee who would report to the minister. The board would have 3 jobs:
 develop new standards under the c new legislation
 decide who will have to obey the new legislation and when
 keep an eye on how the new legislation is working
There must be members of the disability community on this committee as we put
the concept: “nothing about us without us” into action.
Any one of a number of government departments could be responsible for the new
legislation. Some suggestions are
 Justice
 Community Services
 Labour & Advanced Education
 Economic & Rural Development and Tourism
Who should sit on the new board?
 experts?
 people from government, business, and the disability community?
 rural and urban Nova Scotians?
 people who represent Nova Scotia’s diverse population?
How should this new committee behave? Should it be independent of government?
5. Implementation: What standards should be set?
A set of standards would help us to prevent, find, and remove barriers to places,
goods, services, and information. Government will not create these standards on its
own. We need help from the disability community, businesses, employers, and
members of the public, perhaps in the form of a working committee.
This committee should make sure of the following:
 New standards will not be created where current standards are already
doing the job.
 Anyone who must meet a specific standard will be consulted.
 Standards are updated to reflect changing needs or advances in technology.
 Deadlines to meet standards will give people time to make the required
changes and take into account the cost of doing so.
 Standards will be flexible enough to allow for alternative solutions.
The public must be made aware of the progress being made.
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6. Role of Government
It is up to the government to lead by example. Government must take down any
barriers to the services it provides. This includes municipal governments.
7. Monitoring and compliance
We will have to watch closely how the new accessibility legislation is working and
set up systems that will help us figure out who is obeying the new laws, etc. and how
well they are doing so. Those systems must also show who does not obey the new
laws and why. Here are some ways we can do that:
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Use a complaints-based system.
Set timelines for compliance and check progress, including why progress is
not being made.
Create a checklist based on the principle of universal design.
Communicate clearly what needs to be done, when, and why.
Assess current public spaces and buildings to see if they meet the new
standards. Set up timelines for improvement if they don’t.
Money must NOT be taken from other budgets to pay for this monitoring.
8. Incentives and penalties
We need both incentives and penalties to make our new accessibility legislation
work. For example, organizations that comply fully with the new legislation could
receive certification that tells others they are an accessible organization. Those who
need to make costly changes could get GST or HST rebates. Those who refuse to
comply could be fined.
At all times, the focus should be on removing and preventing barriers. All measures
will be clearly communicated to the public and those who must comply with the
new standards.
Your turn
What did we leave out? What would you include?
Please tell us at one of the following consultation sessions:
Place
Date
Time
Dartmouth
Cole Harbour Place
Thurs. Nov. 13th
6:30-9:30 pm
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Wolfville
Old Orchard Inn
Tues. Nov. 18th
6:30-9:30 pm
Pointe de l’Église/Church Point*
Université Sainte-Anne (sale 303, Édifice
Gustave Blanche)
Wed. Nov. 19th
6:30-9:30 pm
Yarmouth
NSCC Burridge Campus Room C181
Thurs. Nov. 20th
6:30-9:30 pm
Bridgewater
Best Western
Mon. Nov. 24th
6:30-9:30 pm
Truro
Holiday Inn
Wed. Nov. 26th
6:30-9:30 pm
Sydney (2 sessions)
Membertou Convention Centre
Thurs. Nov. 27th
4:00-6:30 pm
7:00-9:30 pm
Antigonish
St. F.X. University
Fri. Nov. 28th
6:30-9:30 pm
Amherst
Super 8 Motel
Mon. Dec. 1st
6:30-9:30 pm
Halifax
World Trade and Convention Centre
Wed. Dec. 3rd
4:30-7:30 pm
*Cette séance déroulera en français. Si vous aimeriez participer mais que vous n'habitez pas dans
cette région, vous pouvez également participer par vidéoconférence aux campus suivants de
l'Université Sainte-Anne: Campus d'Halifax de l'Université Sainte-Anne (1589, rue Walnut); Campus
de Petit-de-Grat (3433, route 206); Campus de Saint-Joseph-du-Moine (12521 Cabot Trail); Campus
de Tusket (1 Slocumb Crescent).
You may make a presentation at any one of the above sessions. In your presentation,
you should talk about the topics mentioned on this website or in Access for All Nova
Scotians: An Invitation for Input on Accessibility Legislation.
You must register to make a presentation and submit your presentation before the
session. Email Kerry Deagle or phone 902-424-3827.
When you submit your presentation, please include the following:
 your name
 the name of the organization you represent (if you represent one)
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the session you plan to attend
your email address and phone number
If you cannot make it to one of the sessions but have something to say, submit your
comments online or write to
Ms. Kerry Deagle
Community Services
3rd Floor Nelson Place
5675 Spring Garden Road
Halifax, NS, B3J 2T7
Glossary
barrier – anything that prevents a person from enjoying a place, good, service, or
information that is meant everyone.
compliance – doing things according to a standard
incentive – a reward for doing something
legislation – a collection of laws, regulations, standards, and policies.
standard – an ideal or model used to assess things
universal design – the design of products and environments to be usable by all
people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or
specialized design
visitability – building design with a basic level of accessibility so that everyone can
come into the building and use the washroom
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