A few steps in the right direction

Progress being made, group says on International Day for Persons with Disabilities

Progress is being made in the city to make things more accessible for people with disabilities, say members of the Council for Persons with Disabilities.

Group members gathered at the Venture North building in downtown Peterborough on Friday to mark the International Day for Persons with Disabilities by speaking about accessibility compliance and progress made by businesses and the city.

Accessibility is important for making a just and accessible society for everyone, said Andrea Dodsworth, chair of the Council for Persons with Disabilities.

“We’ve been working hard with businesses to make sure they’re accessible and compliant,” Dodsworth said.

“Accessible to everyone, just because they have a sticker on the door, doesn’t mean they’re accessible.”

While progress has been slow, group members said the city is working hard to help them implement the needed changes to public areas for people with disabilities.

“The city has really listened to what people with disabilities have to say, what they need and what they would like to see,” Dodsworth said.

“Making all public spaces accessible to everyone is a big step in the right direction.”

Also to mark the day the group set up a vaccination certification clinic to help people who might not have mobile devices to access their QR codes a chance to get a laminated paper copy of their proof of vaccination.

“We are quite aware a lot of people don’t have access to their vaccination QR codes,” said Jason King, the group’s marketing and programming assistant.

“Maybe they don’t have access to a computer or a printer or they don’t have access to a phone. We’re offering services for individuals to print and laminate their QR code, so they have a hard copy of it.”

Many Peterborough businesses have been trying to help people with disabilities have access to their businesses, said King.

“We always encourage out of the box thinking,” he said.

“Places with outdoor stairs that may not be able to use a ramp, they can provide services outdoors by making their phone number readily available or having an appointment set up.”

Last year the group met with hundreds of businesses throughout the city and county who were interested in learning to become more compliant with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).

“We visit six hundred and seventy-nine businesses over an eightweek period, giving them tips and suggestions on how to be more accessible during COVID,” added King.

Anyone wanting to learn more about the AODA training, make a donation or get involved with the group can visit the council’s website at pcpd.ca