People with disabilities are being buried in paper!
In Nova Scotia one of the major barriers for people with disabilities is simple paperwork, writes Warren (Gus) Reed of the James McGregor Stewart Society.
James McGregor Stewart Society
New approaches and less whining: Lessons from the human rights tribunal on wheelchair accessible washrooms
Warren (Gus) Reed is one of the successful complainants in a recent human rights case that considered the province’s refusal to enforce accessible washrooms in restaurants. Here Reed looks back on the tribunal in all its absurdity. “It is typical of the provincial authorities not to exercise any creative economic thinking. Accessibility calls for new approaches and less whining!,” writes Reed, who pulls out a calculator himself. The money spent on government lawyers could have been spent so much wiser.
Victory for wheelchair users in human rights case, and another embarrassment for the NS Human Rights Commission
In July we reported on a Nova Scotia Human Rights tribunal asked to decide whether to prevent people who use wheelchairs from washing their hands in a restaurant amounts to discrimination. Well, this time the good guys won, and the the province lost. Another loser was the NS Human Rights Commission, which did not want to consider the case until told by a judge to do so,
Wheelchair accessibility in Halifax: Grandfather is alive and well
Our friends at the James McGregor Stewart Society report on a Halifax restaurant that went from a nicely wheelchair-accessible entrance to make-do.
‘I decided not to get angry anymore’ – Disability advocate Paul Vienneau receives award
Paul Vienneau, disability advocate, asshole with a shovel and sometime NS Advocate contributor, won an award for his disability advocacy. We went to the ceremony, and it was very nice.
2018 James McGregor Stewart Award goes to Paul Vienneau
Activist, guy with heart of gold, and NS Advocate writer Paul Vienneau won the 2018 James McGregor Stewart Award. Congratulations, Paul!
Fight for what’s right, disability activist tells Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission
Warren (Gus) Reed, together with five others, filed a complaint about inaccessible washrooms in restaurants with the NS Human Rights Commission almost two years ago. He’s still waiting for some kind of resolution. We talk with Reed about why the delays, and what he would do to change that. It’s about way more than not having enough resources.
Gatekeepers or advocates? Disability activist speaks out on Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission
We talk with disability activist Gus Reed about (successfully) taking the NS Human Rights Commission to court, and why the Commission appears so reluctant to fight on behalf of people whose human rights have been breached. “I think there is a reluctance to take on tough issues that involve systemic problems. I also don’t think they like to take on the government,” says Reed.