Ms. Que Banh<p>Growing up with a <a href="https://beige.party/tags/disability" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>disability</span></a> and now working as an <a href="https://beige.party/tags/accessibility" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>accessibility</span></a> consultant, I notice these types of barriers all the time. For me, and for the estimated 27% of <a href="https://beige.party/tags/Canadians" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Canadians</span></a> who also have<br>a disability that affects their day-to-day activities (a number that <a href="https://beige.party/tags/StatisticsCanada" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>StatisticsCanada</span></a> expects to increase as the baby boomers age), automatic door openers are just the tip of the iceberg.</p><p>In 2019, the federal government passed the <a href="https://beige.party/tags/AccessibleCanadaAct" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>AccessibleCanadaAct</span></a> (ACA), which aims to make <a href="https://beige.party/tags/Canada" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Canada</span></a> fully <a href="https://beige.party/tags/accessible" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>accessible</span></a> by 2040. Despite this perception that the proverbial needle of accessibility is moving forward, Canada isn’t as accessible as it thinks it is. Many bars and restaurants still lack accessible washrooms; Braille menus and signage are still uncommon; obstacles make it hard for wheelchair users to navigate public spaces.</p><p>New findings from <a href="https://beige.party/tags/AccessibilityTechnology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>AccessibilityTechnology</span></a> company <a href="https://beige.party/tags/AccessNow" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>AccessNow</span></a> corroborated this reality as part of its <a href="https://beige.party/tags/research" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>research</span></a> project, Mapping Our Cities for All. Considered Canada’s largest accessibility <a href="https://beige.party/tags/ResearchInitiative" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ResearchInitiative</span></a> to date, the project evaluated the state of accessibility at more than 14,000 sites in <a href="https://beige.party/tags/Vancouver" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Vancouver</span></a>, <a href="https://beige.party/tags/Calgary" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Calgary</span></a> and <a href="https://beige.party/tags/Ottawa" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Ottawa</span></a>. Released last November, the research found that almost 60% of public businesses were only partially accessible or not accessible. Much like my Toronto café, many of these spaces had some accessibility features, like a ramp, but also barriers, such as a bathroom only reachable by stairs.</p><p><a href="https://broadview.org/canada-isnt-as-accessible-as-it-claims-to-be/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">broadview.org/canada-isnt-as-a</span><span class="invisible">ccessible-as-it-claims-to-be/</span></a></p><p><a href="https://beige.party/tags/PeopleWithDisabilities" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>PeopleWithDisabilities</span></a> <a href="https://beige.party/tags/DisabledCanadians" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DisabledCanadians</span></a> <a href="https://beige.party/tags/CDNpoli" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>CDNpoli</span></a> <a href="https://beige.party/tags/BCpoli" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>BCpoli</span></a> <a href="https://beige.party/tags/YYJpoli" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>YYJpoli</span></a> <a href="https://beige.party/tags/Inclusiveness" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Inclusiveness</span></a> <a href="https://beige.party/tags/CommunityDiversity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>CommunityDiversity</span></a> <a href="https://beige.party/tags/AccessabilityForAll" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>AccessabilityForAll</span></a></p>