Members Named to Accessibility Standard Development Committees

Thirty-nine Nova Scotians have been named to Accessibility Standard Committees, and will help develop the province’s first accessibility standards. Most of the committee members identify as having disabilities themselves, including visual, mobility, auditory, learning disabilities.

“Another significant milestone in reaching our goal of an accessible province by 2030”

The committees will develop standards and focus on ways to improve accessibility, as well as assist the Minister’s Accessibility Advisory Board in preparing recommendations for government. They include the Education Standard Development Committee which is tasked with making the education system more accessible for students with disabilities, and the Built Environment Standard Development Committee which will focus on the accessibility of buildings and public spaces.

“This is another significant milestone in reaching our goal of an accessible province by 2030,” said Justice Minister Mark Furey. “I want to thank all the individuals who applied to serve on the committees and I especially want to congratulate the individuals who will contribute to this important work.”

“The expertise of these individuals in the education and built-environment sectors will help ensure that our standards will provide equitable access to education and infrastructure throughout the province,” he added.

One hundred and forty-three individuals applied to be on committees, which were reviewed by the Accessibility Advisory Board who made recommendations to the minister.

“The board was pleased to receive so many applications from Nova Scotians with such diverse and extensive expertise in education and the built environment,” said Doug Foster, chair of the Accessibility Advisory Board. “It is a reflection of the high level of interest and engagement in advancing accessibility in our province.”

There will be ongoing consultations with persons with disabilities, organizations that represent persons with disabilities, and organizations and sectors impacted by the standards throughout the process.

The first standards are expected to be enacted by 2021 and implemented beginning in 2022. Development of standards for employment, goods and services, information and communication, and transportation will begin at a rate of one per year, beginning in 2021.