Currently, no AODA standards require provincial or municipal elections in Ontario to be accessible. However, the Third Review of the AODA recommends the creation of standards mandating accessibility in politics and elections. In this article, we will outline the need for physical accessibility at political events.
Physical Accessibility at Political Events
Every Ontario citizen should be able to attend political events, including:
- Debates
- Rallies
- Meetings of committees
- City council meetings
As a result, all political events should take place in locations that are fully physically accessible. For instance, every political event that is open to the public should take place in a location that has:
- Accessible Parking
- Accessible outdoor and indoor paths of travel
- Ramped or level entrances
- Automatic doors and wide doorways
- Good lighting
- Accessible signage, including features such as:
- Placement at eye level, for people at wheelchair and standing heights
- Detailed information, for people with hearing disabilities
- Clear language or pictures, for people with intellectual disabilities
- Large print and good colour contrast, for people who are visually impaired
- Braille, for people who are blind or deafblind
- Line areas and service counters that accommodate citizens using assistive devices
- Lifts or elevators whenever there are stairs
- Accessible public washrooms
- Visual fire alarms
In addition, some venues may be locations where service animals are not always welcome, such as schools. However, service animals should always be welcome in venues where a political party or candidate is campaigning or interacting with the public.
Alternative Solutions for the Ongoing Lack of Physical Accessibility
All public meetings with any member of a political party or city council should take place in locations that have these features. Therefore, AODA standards in politics could mandate that political parties and candidates can only hold meetings in physically accessible locations. This mandate would give building owners incentive to retrofit their venues.
However, until more buildings are accessible, placing all political events in fully accessible locations may not be possible. Therefore, meeting organizers should have plans in place to ensure that all people can participate in an event, even when they cannot access it in person. For instance, organizers can arrange for the event to take place both in-person and virtually. In this way, people who cannot physically access an event can witness it and interact in real time with other attendees.
Finally, event organizers should alert citizens in advance that the option of attending virtually is available. In this way, potential virtual attendees will know that parties and candidates value their presence and encourage their involvement in government.