Québec accessible's newsletter

Dear Quebec Accessible supporters,

After taking a brief break, Quebec Accessible is back in full force! We thank you for your ongoing support.

Over the past few months, we’ve been busy preparing for the upcoming provincial elections. We’ve updated our website and created bilingual online tools to help you understand Quebec and Ontario’s disability laws. We've created a fact sheet that explains why Quebec needs a new acessibility law. We’ve put together a list of twelve principles that should guide the development of this new law. We’ve also been interviewed several times in the media. You’ll find more information about these activities below.

Please share this newsletter with your networks. During this election period, let’s join forces to advocate for a strong provincial accessibility law. Together, we can create a more inclusive and accessible Quebec for people with disabilities!

Sincerely,

Quebec Accessible

Website: New Tools to Help You Understand the Law

We’ve developed new tools to help you understand and compare the accessibility laws in Quebec and Ontario. These tools are available on our website.

Quebec

Did you know that Quebec was one of the first provinces in Canada to adopt a law promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities? The Quebec government adopted the Act to secure handicapped persons in the exercise of their rights in 1978. This law was amended in 2004.

Quebec’s current law lacks teeth. Unlike laws in other provinces and countries, it only applies to the public sector (ministries, government agencies and municipalities). It has no clear goals or penalties to ensure compliance. That’s why Quebec Accessible is calling for a stronger provincial accessibility law.

Visit our website for more information about Quebec’s current disability law. Our new bilingual plain language tools explain the law and make recommendations for improving it.

We’ve also developed twelve principles that should guide the development of a new provincial accessibility law. You can read more about them below.

Ontario

Ontario flag

Ontario adopted a ground-breaking accessibility law over ten years ago. The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) from 2005 aims to make the province fully accessible by 2025. Unlike Quebec’s disability law, the AODA applies to both the public and private sectors. It also includes penalties to ensure compliance.

Quebec Accessible has developed bilingual plain language tools to help you understand Ontario’s accessibility law. They explain what businesses, non-profits and government agencies must do to make their services and spaces accessible to people with disabilities.

What can Quebec learn from Ontario’s ground-breaking law? Find out by using the new tools on our website!

Upcoming Elections: Tools to Help you Advocate

Provincial elections will be taking place this October. Quebec Accessible has created bilingual tools to help you lobby political candidates for a stronger accessibility law. These tools are available on our website. Please share them with your networks. Use them to convince candidates and parties to commit to adopting a strong provincial accessibility law.

Fact Sheet

We’ve created a fact sheet that explains why Quebec needs a strong accessibility law. It gives an overview of the disability community and the barriers we face. It also points out the gaps in Quebec’s current legal framework and gives examples of stronger accessibility laws in other provinces and countries.

Principles

We’ve developed twelve principles that should guide Quebec’s new accessibility law. They address issues like the goal, scope and enforcement of the new law. They demand that people with disabilities be involved in every stage of the law’s development and oversight.

Commitments from Party Leaders and Candidates

Quebec Accessible has written to the leaders of the main political parties asking them to commit to adopting a strong provincial accessibility law guided by our twelve principles during their first mandates. We will keep you updated on their responses.

We encourage you to ask other political candidates to also commit to adopting a strong provincial accessibility law guided by our twelve principles. Raise this issue during political debates and meetings. The more often candidates hear about the need to adopt a new law, the more likely they are to make this a political priority.

Media Coverage

Ça me regarde (AMI)

Melanie Benard, co-founder of Quebec Accessible, was recently interviewed on the show Ça me regarde on Accessible Media Inc. (AMI) about the need for a new provincial accessibility law in Quebec. The interview will be aired (in French) as part of the show’s special edition on the provincial elections on September 22.

CBC Radio

Melanie Benard also recently did several radio interviews on the CBC:

Melanie was interviewed on CBC radio’s Daybreak show on July 19. She explained how banning plastic straws at restaurants and festivals can harm people with disabilities. You can listen to the interview here.

On May 10, Melanie was interviewed on CBC radio’s Daybreak show about the lack of accessible music venues in Montreal. Listen to the interview here. You can read more about this story here.

Also on May 10, Melanie co-hosted Radio Noon on CBC radio. Listeners called in to discuss their experiences with accessibility in Montreal. Melanie explained why the current legal framework isn’t sufficient to address the many barriers facing people with disabilities. You can listen to the show here.

New Accessibility Requirements for Apartments

In July, the Quebec government adopted new regulations setting accessibility requirements for certain new apartments. They will apply to apartments located on the ground floor or on a floor accessible by elevator in buildings with more than 2 floors and more than 8 units. Designers will get to choose between two levels of accessibility. The new regulations take effect in September 2018, but they won’t be applied until September 2020. Visit our website to read our overview of these new accessibility requirements.

Federal: Bill C-81

On June 20, the Government of Canada tabled Bill C-81, the proposed Accessible Canada Act. If passed, the bill could go a long way in reducing barriers facing people with disabilities. This bill only applies to areas within the power of the federal government, such as broadcasting and telecommunications, travel between provinces by plane, train, bus or ferry, banks and postal services. Quebec Accessible has developed a brief overview of the bill and recommendations for improving it. You can read them on our website.

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