Accessibility at PEI Legislature is an afterthought

Throne Speech protest: Stephen Pate, Kat Murphy, Graham Burke

The PEI Legislature is wheelchair accessible, sort of. There are several non-zero barrier doors, threshholds and ramps. The attitude of staff is indifferent to beligerent which makes it worse. They need an upgrade on their treatment of people with disabilities. They hassle you and they don’t know how to act and when to not act.

I could take my wheelchair intact on the first day I visited. Then they kept my wheelchair bag for security reasons. Like most people in a wheelchair, the bag is an extension of how I live with everything from medicine to an air pump. It’s not a backpack: it’s a wheelchair bag. On airlines, for example, it’s not counted as part of the two bag limit. I’ve never had anyone ever, anywhere ask me to check a part of my wheelchair. I need it. Do women need their purses more?

Women took in larger purses and media people took in huge bags. Tall well dressed men seemed to get the best differential treatment for males. I surveyed other Legislatures and they all allowed wheelchair bags if searched first.

One day the Commissionaire was overly helpful and nearly injured me. I was entering the Gallery. He came up behind me and pushed the door open button. The door opened, caught the side of my chair and pinned me against the wall. One wheel was over the stairwell. I couldn’t figure out what was going on at first. It was nerve wracking. Same commissionaire for two weeks – that day he’s a killer.

First I asked him to stop and then I told him to leave me alone. That took a minute to register since he kept pushing the door open button.

People in wheelchairs don’t usually need help getting a powered door to open or get through. Please only help if the door is manual.

His dangerous helpfulness contrasted with the lack of power assist on the large wooden front door with no one in sight to help. They also tend to run over and push the elevator button like you’re an idiot.

Once last week, while waiting for a media interview on the second floor, the Commissionaire asked me to move along. The place was teeming with media people, veterans and MLA’s. I had backed into a corner to get out of the fray. That part of the building is part of the National Parks display open to the public. He just figured he could push me because I was in a wheelchair. He didn’t ask another person on the floor to leave.

The worst is the security supervisor who is now surly because I complained. What a grouch. He hasn’t seen the end of it. I will write a letter to the Speaker and also Parks Canada. There is an interesting mix of jurisdictions in that building since the Federal Government controls it. Parks Canada is usually excellent at responding to the needs of Canadians with disabilities. The Province of PEI is abysmal. It will be interesting to see if the Charter Section 15 applies or of the weaker PEI Human Rights legislation applies.

Most of the problems are not structural. They just appear to be poorly educated about making a public building accessible. Once upon a time the PEI Council of the Disabled worked on these things. Where are they now?