The Saskatchewan Legislative Building received an accessibility certification, making it the first one to do so in Canada.
The building was presented with the Rick Hansen Accessibility Foundation Certification (RHFAC) Plaque.
The unveiling marks one year since the Government of Saskatchewan announced the Legislative Building received this certification, becoming the first and only Legislative Building in Canada to receive this accessibility certification.
Lori Carr, the Minister of Social Services, said that becoming more accessible is a great feat.
“It’s really important that everybody has the opportunity to attend their Legislative Building, to be able to go to the proceedings that happen here, to be able to attend meetings,” she said. “Having this entrance that has been redesigned is super important, and then within the building, we have ramps and our elevators so they’ll be able to get to meetings and have accessibility to every area of the building.”
The Rick Hansen Foundation is a program that helps to identify physical barriers in public places or spaces and improve accessibility in communities across Canada.
Launel Scott, the executive director for Spinal Cord Injury Saskatchewan, said that it’s exciting news.
“It’s been a bit of a long journey for our organization as well as for the Government of Saskatchewan to work towards improving accessibility and inclusion for everyone. This is a big step.”
Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Saskatchewan delivered the assessment, including surveying and evaluating the accessibility renovations, and building renovations based on ten different categories.
Scott said there still is work to be done.
“There is a still a lot of areas that need to be improved for people, not only living with physical disabilities but with a visual disability and hearing impairment. There are many details about being inclusive, and one of the biggest areas is actually consultation with the actual people with lived experience because it’s not one size fits all. Not one measure is going to meet everyone’s needs.”
Both Carr and Scott added that they hope to see more buildings in the province receive the same certification.
The certification plaque will be installed and displayed in the hallway through the Prince of Wales entrance of the Legislative Building.