St. FX University Sociology Professor Dr. Katie Aubrecht, a disability and seniors care scholar,
St. FX Sociology Professor and Canada Research Chair Health Equity & Social Justice Katie Aubrecht (St. FX University photo)
has been appointed by the province to conduct an independent review of the Accessibility Act.
The review, required by the Act, will focus on identifying possible changes to the legislation, the standard development processes and Access by Design–the plan to make Nova Scotia accessible by 2030.
Since the Accessibility Act came into force, provincial officials say it has been working with persons with disabilities as well as the public and private sectors to begin developing accessibility standards.
The Accessibility Act was passed in 2017 and requires an external review of the act within four years of its coming into force and every five years after that. The review is expected to begin this fall and take about eight to 10 months to complete.
Aubrecht, who is also director of the St. FX intersectional disability studies lab says she’s pleased to conduct the review of the Act. She says it’s an important piece of legislation, that upon full implementation, will acknowledge and advance the human rights of persons with disabilities, with significant positive impact on people and communities.