Excerpt from June 2, 2014 570 News interview on inaccessible Cambridge candidates debate, Compliments of Inclusive Media and Design, www.inclusivemedia.ca

[host] And thank you so much for choosing 570 News.

This is, um, you know, something that's quite timely with the June 12th Provincial Election coming up on us, uh, very quickly.

And we often hear about voter, uh, turnout, how low it can be, what, what can be done to get more voters to the polls, et cetera.

Um, and the founder of the Waterloo Region Accessibility Watch Advecy- uh, Advocacy Group has, uh, reached out to 570 News following an incident last week.

Lynn McGinnis told us that, uh, members of the group wanted to attend an all-candidates, uh, debate, a meeting, on social issues at the Islamic Centre of Cambridge.

And, uh, we were told that they called ahead and explained who they were, however, were not able to access the building once they arrived, as two of the women were in wheelchairs.

And McGinnis also told us that there was accessible parking spots at the location, but when they, uh- when they got there, there was absolutely no way to get in.

And he started asking around, everybody started panicking, looked very distressed running around talking to people, trying to figure out what was happening, but the reality was that there was no way to do it, there was no way for them to get in.

And the debate was, uh, put on by the Social Planning Council of Cambridge in North Dumfries and YWCA Cambridge.

And now we're also told that the candidates, uh, McGinnis thought that the candidates should request that debates be held in locations that are accessible to everybody.

And with all of that in mind, we should mention that this week is also National Access Awareness Week.

David Lepofsky is the chair of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance.

Take some time to, uh, join the conversation.

David, good afternoon, how are you?

[David Lepofsky] I'm doing great, how are you?

[host] I'm doing very well, thanks so much.

Uh, did I get all that right at the beginning? [David] You sure did.

[host] Yeah? 

[David] You sure did.

[host] And, and how does, uh, I mean, that, that's gotta make you feel a certain way.

How does- I mean, when you hear something like that happening, I mean, what do you start thinking?

[David] It is outrageous and inexcusable that there should be an all candidates debate held in an election in this province in the year 2014.

We folks with disabilities fought from 1994 to 2005, a long and hard decade, to win a new law that was passed in '05 that all parties voted for unanimously, the Accessibility Law.

It requires Ontario to become fully accessible by 2025, and it requires the government of Ontario to lead us there.

And as part of this, we need fully accessible elections, so voters with disabilities, who number over a million across this province, can have their full democratic say.

Now, we- my coalition, which is non-partisan, we don't support or oppose any party, we just try to get accessibility for everybody, uh, across the board, we tweeted every candidate on Twitter from all the major parties, uh, a couple weeks ago, and said, "Will you commit not to attend any all candidates debate that's inaccessible?" 'Cause, you know, community groups organize these events, they call a candidate, they invite them, the first thing out of the candidate's mouth should be, "Is it in an accessible location?

If it is, I'm coming. If it's not, I'm not coming." [host] Yeah. [David] Uh, well this has been coming up in election after election, and what do we find out is in Cambridge last Thursday?

There was one that was reported to be in an inaccessible location.

It's not like they built the building for the event.

The community organizers pick a location.

They should be picking wh- an- a location that all voters can get into.

[host] Um, David, as I, as I understand, everyone's apologized, they felt very horrible about this, uh, I mean, uh, [laughs] uh, does that make it any easier?

I mean, the fact is, uh, some people weren't able to get in.

[David] You know, they apologized in 1995 when we found one- [host] Yeah. [David] in the eastern end of Toronto.

They apologized in 1999 when there was one in the centre of Toronto.

They just keep doing it and then apologizing, and I'm sorry, but voters don't want apologies, they want accessibility.

There, there's a bigger dimension to this.

You see, we've been advocating since 2005 to, uh, ensure that this Disability Act that we won is actually effectively implemented.

Right now, the government of Ontario, uh, under the Liberals has made some progress, but they're way behind schedule.

We are not on schedule for accessibility for 2025, and so we're encouraging voters from all perspectives to approach all candidates from all parties to press them to make stronger commitments.

The leaders have made commitments to us on accessibility, but they're not good enough.

I'm not just talking about elections, I'm talking about for schools, and for the healthcare system, and for everything.

They, the leaders, all of them – Wynne, Hudak, uh, Horwath – they've made commitments, but none of them are, are good enough, so we want- we're trying to get the candidates to lead the leaders- [host] Right, right. [David] uh, on the accessibility agenda, but it doesn't give you a lot of confidence when the candidates are going into all candidates debates when they didn't ensure, uh, in this instance, that it was accessible. [host] Well, I gotta tell you, David, I, uh, moderated one of the debates, uh, last week at Kitchener City Hall, and, of course, it's accessible, uh, and, and there were a few folks in, in wheelchairs.

So, I mean, I- you know, c- because I think sometimes people, uh, you know, look at it – and, and it's horrible, and they shouldn't be – but, you know, they, they maybe say, "Well, none- you know, no one's coming out." Uh, you know what I mean? No one's coming out.

Th- there- you know, people don't come out to these things anyway, but I gotta tell you, the one I moderated, there were, there were, you know, a handful of people in, in wheelchairs.

[David] Well, you know, the one- there was one in Toronto last, uh, Tuesday in the, uh, Parkdale riding that was going to be in an accessible- in an inaccessible location.

Again, we're non-partisan, but it happened that the NDP incumbent Cheri Dinovo announced she's not going if it's inaccessible.

The other candidates, uh, didn't agree.

The Liberal candidate said- she tweeted us that she's gonna go even if it's inaccessible, and the PC didn't even answer us.

Well, we kept up the heat, fed the story to the media, and the next thing you know, they moved it outdoors.

[host] Yeah. 

[David] It was gonna be inside an inaccessible school house.

Uh, some people have said to us, "Why is there even an inaccessible school house- 

[host] [laughs] Yeah. 

[David] in the province of Ontario?" But they ended up moving it to the parking lot, it was a lovely evening, and everybody enjoyed sitting out, uh, uh, and, uh, having the event outside.

And people with disabilities showed up.

You know, your listeners may- some of them may think, "Hey, does this affect me?" But you know what?

Everybody either has a disability right now or is gonna get one as they get older, 'cause all you gotta do is grow old and you get a disability.

We're, we're the minority of everybody.

[host] Yeah. Uh, David, how often does this happen?

[David] Um, we don't have comprehensive stats, but all I can say is any time it happens, that's too often.

[host] Mhm. 

[David] Um, and we have other issues.

We've, we've got- I'm blind, I- you know, I, I can't- on voting day, I can't mark my own ballot, 'cause it's a paper ballot.

I can't mark it, I've gotta get someone to assist me.

I can, I can vote in advance if I go all the way across my riding to the one office that's got an accessible voting machine.

We are pressing for telephone and internet voting 'cause that would make voting accessible to a wide range of people with disabilities who could vote, uh, using adaptive technology.

And for other voters who don't- just don't wanna have to make their way to a polling station. [host] Yeah.

You know, David, um, you know, it's- y- you have mentioned  that, you know, the... the parties have all committed to making buildings, you know, accessible, and holding debates in... in buildings that are accessible, but is there anything right now, any type of law that, that says that debates must be held in an accessible, uh, area to everybody?

Or is it just, you know, uh, up to the candidates right now to say, "I'm not going if it's not." There's no law that says it must be, is there?

[David] Well, the Human Rights Code itself says discrimination in services based on disability is illegal, but people don't wanna file a Human Rights complaint.

It'll be years after the debate is over.

We- when the government, the Liberals had a- an- a, uh, uh, reforms to the Election Act before the Legislature in 2010, we proposed an amendment, uh, to make it unlawful to have all candidates debates in, in an inaccessible location, and, uh, it didn't pass. [host] Really?

[David] But we're, uh, we're carrying on, and if your listeners wanna learn more about this, we held a virtual news conference – it's on YouTube – where w- where we released the public's- uh, the parties' platforms.

They've all made accessible pledges, and they did it to our coalition.

Sixth election in a row when they've done that.

Just go to YouTube and, and search on accessibility, or go to our website, which is aodaalliance.org.

The aodaalliance.org.

And you can see exactly what the parties have each promised, and what we've been trying to do to, to raise this issue as an art- non-partisan community group.

[host] David, what have you been doing to try to spread the message?

I understand you've been, uh, doing a lot of tweeting and social media.

You mentioned, uh, that you've been tweeting candidates to make sure you, you've been- you know, but it's almost- it's almost sad and, and, you know, you shouldn't have to be taking the lead on this.

This should be coming from the candidates.

[David] Y- you would think that, but nevertheless, we've been pressing them using social media.

If you go to our website, we've posted a non-partisan action kit where any voter with a disability or without a disability, uh, can immediately look up action tips that are easy to use to raise issues about accessibility.

Not just voting accessibility or debate accessibility, but schools, uh, jobs, uh, access to retail stores.

You know, the accessibility watch folks, uh, Lynn McGinnis' crew in, uh, in the KW area and beyond have done a fantastic job at the grassroots pointing out, uh, inaccessible public, uh, establishments.

It's just too bad, it's sort of a cruel irony that they couldn't get in to an all candidates debate to, to talk about the barriers- 

[host] Yeah.

[David] and what, what the candidates need to do, 'cause they picked an inaccessible location.

It's quite a slap in the face. 

[host] It really is.

And, and, you know, I gotta tell you again, as I mentioned off the top, you know, in a time where we're struggling to get voters out and... and, you know, it- this- I mean, it just shouldn't be happening, we shouldn't be talking about something like this.

I did wanna ask you, David, if you, if you know of any cases, or if you know of any people that have just been so fed up, so ticked off with something like this where it's actually, you know, uh, where they've said, "Listen, I, I'm not gonna vote, because this is just ridiculous.

This is becoming so difficult that I'm just not going to vote." [David] Well, there are people who don't go to vote, we're concerned because either getting to the polling station, there might not be accessible parking, or if they get in, there may be a long lineup.

And we've just received a complaint from an individual in Toronto about an Etobicoke polling station, uh, with an elevator door that's not wide enough for some mobility devices.

We've raised it with Elections Ontario, and Elections Ontario emailed back to the individual and to us saying, "Well, we know the elevator door is too narrow, but we, we're using it anyway," uh, claiming they couldn't find anything more appropriate.

Now, come on, in Toronto, you can't find a more accessible location in a riding?

[host] Yeah. 

[David] That, that one's a little hard to believe, but we're, we're following up on that.

The March of Dimes has emailed Elections Ontario to say that, you know, you need an elevator door with, uh, 36 inches if you wanna be sure, you know, full ra- a wide range of mobility devices can get through.

[host] Yeah, so you say the pledge is to make everything accessible by 2025?

[David] Yeah. 

[host] And... and we're behind, right?

[David] That's in the legislation- [host] Right.

[David] that they all stood up and voted for 

after we fought for a decade, but we are behind schedule now.

My coalition isn't just- we don't just criticize, we came forward to the parties with an agenda of how to get back on schedule.

And, and we got some commitments from the parties.

Uh, not enough.

Uh, Mr. Hudak, uh, unfortunately, made the fewest, and he won't even agree or confirm that if he's elected he won't cut the gains we've made.

 Um, and so we're- and, uh, Kathleen Wynne has made some commitments, but not enough.

Um, Andrea Horwath has made more, but we still, uh, need more.

And we're not plugging for any party, we want them all to commit to the entire agenda needed to- so that you're- the minority of everybody, of people with a disability, and the minority of people, uh, and everyone who's gonna get one so that w- we all can fully, uh, participate in Ontario life.

[host] David, thanks so much for your time, really appreciate it.

[David] Thanks so much for having me on your show.

[host] Alright, uh, David Lepofsky right there.

He is the chair of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disability Act Alliance.

And, uh, this after, uh, uh, 570 News the Newsroom was alerted, um, by the Waterloo Region Accessibility Watch Advocacy Group that, uh, um, you know, members wanted to attend an all-candidates, uh, meeting, in fact, they were going there to spread, uh, you know, the issues of accessibility, and they couldn't get into the building for the debate. Even though they called ahead and told these people who they were and that they were coming. They still couldn't get into the building – or, or they got into the building, but the elevator couldn't go down to the basement where, where the debate was being held. I mean, that is sad – I mean, it shouldn't be happening with voter turnout where it is. 

—end of excerpt—