There’s a discussion we’re not having in Ottawa. It has to do with accessibility in the local music and arts scene. The next time you stand in a crowded basement venue with your friends, take a look around. Do you see anyone in a mobility device?
Chances are, you won’t, because they couldn’t make it down the stairs. Even if they did, seeing the band would be something of a challenge for them. The crowd tends to get in the way when you’re in a wheelchair.
People with disabilities are too often prevented from enjoying Ottawa’s best entertainment and nightlife. The problem stems from weak Ontario legislation and a seemingly indifferent media.
Chris Binkowski, founder of the organization, Accessibility for Humanity, says for many people with disabilities, the lack of progress under the existing accessibility laws is very frustrating.
It’s been nearly 11 years since the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act was passed, but he says he isn’t seeing significant improvements. Things have stalled at a policy level with a mountain of legislature, but little has been done to inspire or enforce compliance.
In 2014, an independent review body found the government is behind schedule with its plan to make all businesses fully accessible to the roughly 1.8 million Ontarians with disabilities by 2025.
The act’s limited scope also means limited impact. Businesses and non-profits are required to have written policies on accessibility. They must also implement staff training and accessible feedback systems. But the legislation doesn’t extend to standards of physical access.
Amendments to the provincial building code last year will require newly constructed or extensively renovated buildings to have barrier-free interiors. Unfortunately, the code doesn’t require the retrofitting of existing buildings to improve accessibility. Worse still, because it is a separate law altogether, it isn’t regularly reviewed for compliance or enforceable under the act.
This disjointed approach translates to a less-than-satisfactory picture for people with disabilities, because many venues in and around Centretown tend to be located in older buildings that aren’t due to be fully renovated in the near future, if at all.
Popular and newly opened venues House of Targ and Live! on Elgin might as well be brick walls for patrons in wheelchairs.
While zoning bylaws and financial viability are an issue, improving accessibility is not impossible. It can be as simple as working with local disabilities movements to create an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere.
Pressed Café on Gladstone Street has been singled out for praise. It collaborated with Accessibility for Humanity to improve its accessibility score. Aside from cramped bathrooms, Binkowski says the venue is progressive and feels inclusive, thanks to the efforts of the owners and staff.
The recently closed Raw Sugar also received good marks for the accessible front door and inclusive environment.
Let’s hope Bar Robo, soon to open at the same location, will follow suit.
Binkowski also commends Ottawa Showbox’s staff who built a basic wooden ramp at Babylon, a popular Centretown nightclub.
So many people in this province are the stoic, long-suffering casualties of ineffective legislation and a failure of successive provincial governments to cut through the red tape.
Meaningful change is long overdue, so it’s time to set the challenge.
To government: think of the million or so voters that are putting up with the slow pace of substantive change and the inadequacies of the act.
To the mainstream media: I ask you to count the number of times you have covered disability issues. Look around and ensure you have diversity in your newsrooms.
And finally, the able-bodied residents of this city: please recognize what your privilege offers in terms of entertainment. Make everyone welcome. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to champion dignity, independence, inclusivity and equal opportunity for everyone.