Accessibility Improvements to Speaker’s Dais to be Made
The Speaker of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly has requested advice on making permanent accessibility improvements to the Speaker’s dais. (Province of Nova Scotia)
Danielle Barkhouse, Speaker of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly, will look at options to ensure the Speaker’s dais is safely accessible for presiding officers with a mobility impairment.
The current ramp to the dais was installed in 2013, and it does not comply with the current Nova Scotia Building Code Regulations. There are also four more MLAs in the legislative chamber than in 2013, making it more difficult to enter, exit and move around that part of the chamber, creating safety concerns.
Speaker Barkhouse has directed that the ramp be placed in storage and has requested advice on making permanent improvements, such as installing a lift, that will make the dais safely accessible to future Speakers and Deputy Speakers who require mobility aids. If there is a presiding officer who needs assistance before a permanent solution is in place, the ramp could be reinstalled temporarily.
“The installation of the ramp to the Speaker’s dais was an important step forward for persons with disabilities in Nova Scotia. However, I believe the time has come to seek a safer and more permanent solution which is fully compliant with the modern building code,” said Speaker Barkhouse. “Persons with a disability serving as MLAs deserve more than reliance on an improvised solution from over a decade ago. I am committed to seeing through a real and permanent improvement in accessibility to the Speaker’s dais for future presiding officers with a disability.”