'Go Barrier Free' Project to Help Shape New Accessibility Standards

For someone with a physical disability such as visual impairment, everyday tasks like catching a bus can be difficult.

Without an accessibility feature like an audio speaker announcing the route, the waiting commuter might not know what bus has arrived. And bus drivers may not realize that the rider has a disability, explains Bill McIver, a researcher at New Brunswick Community College. “And so that starts this kind of cycle… the bus driver becomes irritated.”

Obstacles to accessibility are the subject of a research project dubbed Go Barrier Free. The project aims to put people with disabilities at its centre.

Kaitlyn Layden, a disability rights advocate who writes for the NB Media Co-op, is leading the investigation alongside McIver, who is the director of NBCC’s Centre for Applied Research in Mobile and Ubiquitous Computing.

Through surveys and interviews, they hope to shape accessibility standards at a national level.

“This project is about studying the gaps in accessibility, in transportation, the built environment, and information communications,” Layden says. “And ideally, we are going to help the decision-makers make some positive changes for people with disabilities.”

The three-year project is funded by Accessibility Standards Canada, which develops standards for the federal government and federally regulated entities such as banks. McIver points to examples like the National Building Code, which governs building design and construction. The research has revealed solutions, but also “really heartbreaking cases” where a combination of policies, practices, and attitudes results in “major barriers,” McIver says. “Most of our respondents, they have a resilience but they’re just asking to be treated equally,” he added.

NBCC connected with Layden after reading her articles in the NB Media Co-op, and she “really helped us to move our efforts around accessibility forward,” McIver says. 

Layden, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair to get around, says it’s important for people with disabilities to be at the centre of this kind of research. “People with disabilities need more consultations and for the policies that affect them, they need to be able to have their say before the policy or barrier is put in place for them.”

McIver also notes the importance of a human-centred approach to design. “It’s really only in talking to and collaborating with those who are actually facing those issues that you really see the depth and the breadth of the issues that they face,” he says.

Major issues emerging from the research include unreliable transportation services. “Many people have to wait several weeks to get service in the first place,” Layden says. “So, it’s hard to plan your day for appointments.”

Another major theme is inaccessible housing, which makes apartment hunting even harder amid skyrocketing rent. “For housing or apartment buildings, it is really unheard of to get an apartment that works for somebody with a disability, especially at an affordable price,” Layden says.

The project comes at a time when many people with disabilities are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. “A lot of people are having to choose between medications, housing, equipment,” Layden says, adding, “Some people are not eating as well as they should be. A lot of people with disabilities have autoimmune conditions and the price of everything has gone up so drastically. Not everyone with a disability is able to access a food bank.”

Layden notes that technologies such as Zoom have benefited people with disabilities by allowing them to participate in more activities that were previously inaccessible. She is calling for employers to continue offering work-from-home arrangements. “Not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to get up and go when they want to or need to.”

People interested in being interviewed or surveyed for the NBCC project should contact the researchers by Aug. 31. Email Andrew.Urquhart@nbcc.ca with the subject line “Go Barrier Free — Volunteer.”

In the email, indicate whether you are someone with a disability; someone experienced with disability, such as a teacher or trainer; someone who manages a disability program for an organization; or the caregiver of someone with a disability. Please also note whether you prefer to participate by survey or interview.

Following the publication of this video, the call for participation was extended from May 1 to Aug. 31. We updated the article to reflect the new date on April 4, 2024 at 11:05 a.m.

David Gordon Koch is a journalist with the NB Media Co-op. This reporting has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada, administered by the Canadian Association of Community Television Stations and Users (CACTUS).