Indigenous communities and federal accessibility standards: A situational review

Published March 2021
by John Kiedrowski, Project Manager - First Nations National Building Officers Association

Executive Summary

This report examines how the accessibility standards introduced under the Accessible Canada Act may have an impact on Indigenous Communities.

There is no systematic or national data available to understand the number or type of disabilities for persons living in Indigenous communities. However, several studies and reports suggest that a higher proportion of Indigenous people live with disabilities than found in the general Canadian population.

One of the challenges in understanding disabilities in Indigenous communities is that disability may be defined differently in those communities. While there are legislative definitions of disability and barriers, in some Indigenous communities, there may be different cultural meanings for disabilities and barriers.

For example, Indigenous people with disabilities may not see or report barriers that others may find to be a challenge. Aboriginal cultures may value interdependence differently than Canadians living off reserve.

There is a lack of research or information on how the accessibility standards of design of space, employment, plain language, and accessible means of egress have an impact on Indigenous communities.

The studies that exist focus on how dwellings or community facilities are not properly equipped to accommodate the mobility needs of individuals.

Some of the ongoing challenges mentioned affect the entire community, include a lack of access to meaningful employment and high-speed internet, or to banks or ATM machines.

This study found that many of the older building structures do not have ramps or are not accessible for persons with disabilities.

Newer building structures seem to be more accommodating, but in many cases the interior of the buildings have limited accessibility. Persons with disabilities cannot access hallways, have limited space in their workstations and cannot access washrooms.

Ramps that were built do not meet national building codes. Some view ramps to be culturally unpleasing and many are unusable, especially in the north.

Employment opportunities for persons with disabilities are not easily available in many of the communities.

The research found that Chief and Councils require more capacity and knowledge with respect to accessibility issues. In many cases, there are few resources to care effectively for persons with disabilities within their communities.

To move forward, several recommendations are provided including the submission of an accessibility plan; additional resources to accommodate national standards; and evaluations that include direct input from persons with disabilities who are affected by the changes.

Acknowledgements

We had the exceptional fortune of receiving comments from individuals who are compassionate about addressing the challenges faced by persons living with disabilities in Indigenous communities. Without their unique observations and input, much of the information in this report would not be possible.

We want to thank the external experts in persons with disabilities who provided comments on our instrument design and final report.

Finally, FNNBOA wants to thank the Government of Canada, Accessibility Standards Canada for the funding that made this report possible.

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Note: The views expressed in this report of are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Indigenous communities who provided input through the survey and interviews, or the views of the FNNBOA board.