Yellowknifer issues report cards to make businesses more accessible
Jake Flanagan hopes personal project will encourage change
A Yellowknife resident is raising awareness about accessibility issues in the city through a unique personal project.
Jake Flanagan uses a wheelchair and said the lack of access at many businesses and venues in the city is frustrating. The 25-year-old has autism and fibromyalgia — a chronic pain disorder.
"It's frustrating, it's tiring and it can be embarrassing," Flanagan said.
Flanagan decided to create accessibility report cards to rate businesses. Flanagan is posting the results on Facebook and hopes others will contribute their experiences.
"Everybody has the right to be able to access every part of their hometown," Flanagan said.
Flanagan created the accessibility report card project after discussions online with other people with disabilities across the world and doing some research on the subject.
Flanagan has just started the project and is beginning to grade businesses based on their exterior and interior access, interior space, accommodations, bathrooms and parking. That includes things like whether a venue has a ramp, elevator or stair lift, large print menus, a designated wheelchair accessible table, and how staff respond to accommodation requests.
So far, Flanagan has rated two businesses, both of which were given a failing grade. They didn't have things like accessible bathrooms, parking, or designated tables. Flanagan said one of the businesses had no wheelchair access, meaning Flanagan couldn't even enter the building.
The Northwest Territories follows the National Building Code of Canada, which includes a section on barrier-free design. But there is a grandfather clause where anything constructed before these regulations were put in place, is exempt.
'I think it's great': accessibility consultant
Marnie Peters, who has worked as an accessibility consultant for more than 20 years, said that doesn't mean businesses don't need to be accessible. She noted that human rights legislation protects people from discrimination on the grounds of disability.
Peters also said if businesses aren't accessible, they aren't tapping into their whole market and that making buildings more accessible benefits everyone.
"You should be thinking, 'Who are all of my consumers?' not just who are the people who can walk into my store," she said.
Peters said she thinks Flanagan's accessibility project is positive and added there are many platforms where people can share experience-driven assessments online.
"Anytime there's a focus on accessibility or a community, I think it's great," she said.
Peters said when rating businesses it's important to look at accessibility from a variety of perspectives and provide as much information to users as possible.
For now, Flanagan is just doing report cards, but wants to expand the project. Flanagan would like business owners to be open to hearing and addressing concerns from people with accessibility needs.
"I want our town to be an accessible location where everyone can access everything and not have to feel the shame of, well I want to go here, all my friends, relatives etc. want to go here, but I can't," Flanagan said.