In our Aug. 8 issue we published a story about Barrhead town councillors decision to deny a request to waive the normal aquatics centre entrance fee for Blue Heron Support Services Association support workers when accompanying their clients.
The rationale behind the request being it isn’t the support worker that is making use of the facility, but the client, who without the worker’s help wouldn’t be able to take advantage of the service.
Certainly a reasonable request and it is one we agree with. While we understand running a recreational facility is expensive and the town needs to offset a reasonable portion of its operating expenses for its facilities we believe all residents should be able to access a public facility regardless of their physical or mental abilities.
This is the reason public facilities are required to design and equip its facilities, to ensure people with disabilities are not unfairly discriminated against due to lack of access.
This is why a number of municipalities, as well as businesses, are waiving their fees for attendants of disabled individuals.
For example in Kelowna, B.C., where one of our staff members lived for a number of years, it is the city’s standard practice to waive the fees of personal care attendants at its recreation facilities. B.C. Transit also has a similar policy for all its transit services across the province.
This is something, according to Blue Heron Support Services program director Tim Griffin, the town used to do at the old aquatics centre.
Nor is it just municipalities and governments that are waiving the fees.
After a quick search the Leader learned that Greyhound, Air Canada and Westjet don’t charge for tickets of disabled individuals’ personal care attendants.
And these are companies, who along with providing a service, whose purpose is to make a profit.
We understand councillors hesitation towards lowering or waiving fees for Blue Heron support workers because it would set a precedent of other groups asking for similar policy. We also understand council might have to be put in place a process, such as the one the City of Thunder Bay instituted through its Personal Attendant Leisure card policy, in which a person with a disability must prove their need for an attendant. However, we believe this was the wrong decision and one we hope council will reconsider.
