Barrier Free Architecturals
October 28, 2010

Positive Changes in Accessibility

It’s easy to focus on the short-comings of society and the government when it comes to increasing accessibility for all. However, in reality, huge leaps are being made to improve the likelihood of a more accessible life for everyone, including those with disabilities. This is demonstrated by some recent news from the Canada News Centre, including “Canada’s transportation terminals making travel information more accessible to persons with disabilities.”

The article describes how most transportation terminals for sea, air and land, which are under the government’s remit, are now compliant with the latest accessibility regulations (a Code of Practice published in 2007 that went into effect in early 2009). What’s remarkable is that this is a voluntary code of practice; the terminals will not be punished for ignoring or resisting the guidelines. Geoff Hare, Chair and CEO of the Canadian Transportation Agency, explains that “this report shows the commitment of owners and operators to making their passenger terminals more accessible to persons with disabilities. It also demonstrates that voluntary codes of practice are working.”

This particular Code focuses on making information about travel systems more accessible through various terminal websites. Many terminal systems exceeded the required guidelines in the publication, using new technology to make information more accessible.

Making information easily accessible is as important as providing physical accessibility. For example, of course a wheelchair ramp is paramount, but knowing that one is provided before you even arrive at a travel terminal is even better!

Image: Air Canada Plane. Image Source: Air Canada.

This announcement followed another piece of positive accessibility news: a new voting device is being rolled out for the Winnipeg federal by-election that will help people with certain disabilities cast their vote without needing to use a pencil and paper ballot. If the new system is a success, it will be used in all federal elections in Canada. One of the aims of the prototype is to improve the turnout for the elections, which means the best way for you to help this kind of technology spread is to turn up and vote!

These are just a few of the innovative methods the Canadian government is implementing to provide more inclusive lives for all their constituents, including those with disabilities.

Filed under Mobility Issues and News
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October 22, 2010

New Employer Liability For Protecting Worker Psychological Health

Image: Mental Health Commission of Canada

All too often, mental disabilities get overlooked in the face of more obvious physical disabilities, especially when it comes to the creation and enforcement of liability legislation. For example, if an employer does not provide a wheelchair accessible kitchen, they could get into serious trouble, depending on the circumstances. However, some recent news may change the current imbalance: the Calgary-based Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) has issued a new report arguing that employers have a responsibility to provide a psychologically safe place to work, just as they do a physically safe place.

The report is named ‘Tracing the Perfect Legal Storm’ and argues that the duty outlined above is being reinforced by a range of laws. So what does it mean to provide a psychologically safe workplace? First, we have to understand what a psychological injury looks like. Mary Ann Baynton, a member of the MHCC, puts it like this: “[it’s] when somebody is unable to function, either in their personal life or their work life, due to an injury that resulted from pressure or stress or otherwise workplace-related issues”.

The report states that to avoid liability, employers must make sure that “every practical effort is made to avoid reasonably foreseeable injury to the mental health of employees”. This report was put together by Martin Shain PhD, a lawyer and principle of workplace e-health consultants Neighbour@Work Centre. He outlines seven points of law where an employer might be held liable for psychological injury to an employee. These include such things as human rights, tort law and occupational health and safety law.

The report points out that different people have different levels of ability to cope with stress, and this should be factored into such things as an employee’s workload and deadlines, to ensure no risk of injury. However, this is obviously going to be hard to enforce: how do you begin to prove mental injury has been made and where the fault lies? There are definitely steps to be made before this liability legislation comes into full effect, but the fact that it’s being talked about in such concrete terms is very positive starting point.

Filed under Mobility Issues and News
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October 14, 2010

New Global Rights-Monitoring Network for Persons with Disabilities


Image Credit: Disability Rights Promotion International

Disability Rights Promotion International (DRPI) has introduced a new global monitoring system to address disability discrimination. This comes off the back of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which reports how well all governments that have ratified the agreement are managing.

At the moment, countries are often limited by funding depending on how they report on their implementation of this agreement. The minimum requirements are simply catalogue laws, policies, and programs; which, as you can imagine, doesn’t always have a huge affect on real life accessibility issues.

The new monitoring system from DRPI aims to help countries place that cataloguing alongside evidence-based data. This is achieved by getting people with disabilities involved in the process; there will be training on “what disability means as a human right, how to collect data and conduct evidence-based research, and how to write and file human rights reports” (source). For example, insight into whether the laws about accessible offices or public spaces are implemented will much more effective when the targeted end users can influence the project.

The partners behind this new program are Bengt Lindqvist and Marcia Rioux. Lindqvist, as well as holding a position as Cabinet Minister in Sweden and as the UN Special Rapporteur on Disability, is well known for his years of disability rights activism.

Riox has this to say of the new monitoring scheme: “Our project allows evaluation to happen within the context of the experiences of people with disabilities to objectively measure where discrimination is now, while developing and tracking solid trend data to determine if and how things are getting better.”

Research for this project has been taking place in Canada over the last five years with excellent results. The monitoring scheme is now being rolled out across the world with training kicking off in Africa, Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe and Latin America. In fact, a new monitoring centre, the Africa Regional Monitoring Centre, opened its doors in Kigali, Rwanda in early September.

Filed under Mobility Issues and News
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October 6, 2010

New Canadian Agency for Service Animals

Most people don’t realise that it isn’t only guide dogs that are used as therapy or service animals for people with disabilities. For example, many people with mobility-impairments have Capuchin Monkeys as their service animal. The creation of the CRTASA (the Canadian Registry of Therapy Animals and Service Animals) recognises this problem and will hopefully come up with some solutions.

For example, if a person doesn’t have a visible disability or doesn’t use the recognisable guide dog as their service animal, it might be difficult to convince a business owner that the animal is official and the disabled person might be refused access to an area. One of the first things the CRTASA will do is introduce a more advanced universal registry process using a Photo ID Card. This record will then be strenuously promoted via a public outreach programme to ensure as many businesses as possible know about the new system and understand the legal implications if they fail to comply.

The CRTASA is also planning to introduce a new “Working Animal Health Insurance Policy Plan” with the insurance providers PetHealth Inc. This plan will give greater accessibility to insurance policies, regardless of the service animal’s species, age or breed – it will also offer 10% off the monthly premiums.

There is more information available on the CRTASA website about its services and the organisations it represents. The website also contains information about the rights of using or training service animals in order to indiscriminate accessibility – refusing access in this way would be considered a criminal offence.

This kind of organisation and the public outreach campaign associated with it is so important when it comes to raising awareness about accessibility issues in Canada and the US. We believe everyone has a right to a barrier free lifestyle and all our products, from our handicap showers to our accessible classrooms, enforce this belief. Every business should be made aware of the right of accessibility for people with disabilities and, if relevant, their service animals – whatever the species!

Filed under Mobility Issues and News
October 1, 2010

A Brief History of Sign Language

Sign Language (The Letter "E"). Image Source: Wikipedia

Different sign languages exist all over the world and have done for many years. The earliest known reference to a signed form of language comes from Socrates the philosopher in Plato’s Cratylus: “If we hadn’t a voice or a tongue, and wanted to express things to one another, wouldn’t we try to make signs by moving our hands, head, and the rest of our body, just as dumb people do at present?” This was written in approximately 500 BC.

The first known instruction manual for sign language dates back to 1620, with the snappily-named Reducción de las letras y arte para enseñar a hablar a los mudos (‘Reduction of letters and art for teaching mute people to speak’). It was put together by Juan Pablo de Bonet.

Although sign languages develop alongside spoken languages, there is often little more connection than location between the two forms of communication, although there are exceptions to this rule. However, unlike spoken language, the deaf community has developed an internationally recognised sign language that is used at any international events, such as conferences. This language is known as Gestuno.

The sign language used today in America came about from a combination of existing American signed languages and the arrival of two men, Laurent Clerc and Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, both graduates of the first school for deaf children in Paris. The first American school for deaf people was founded in 1817 by Gallaudet; by 1863, a further 21 similar schools were opened.

American Sign Language (ASL) is said to be the fourth most used language in the United States.

Sign languages are fully developed, complex languages – they are not to be thought of as a ‘compromise’ for a spoken language. A sign language such as ASL allows complete accessibility in communication among its users. At Barrier Free Architecturals, we share that belief in accessibility for all and you’ll find that all our products cater to all levels of disability, from our automated tables to our handicap shower accessories.

If you’d like to learn more about the history of sign language across the world, this website has an excellent, detailed timeline from the 5th Century BC to today.

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