Province Celebrates National AccessAbility Week

Released on May 28, 2021

For the fourth consecutive year, the Government of Saskatchewan is joining many provinces across the country in proclaiming May 30 to June 5, 2021 as National AccessAbility Week.

National AccessAbility Week in Saskatchewan is a time to celebrate and promote inclusion and accessibility in communities and workplaces.  It is also a time to recognize the efforts of individuals, communities and workplaces that are actively removing barriers to give Saskatchewan people with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in their communities. 

In the coming weeks, government will be releasing the feedback we received from the public engagement it held this past winter for the creation of new accessibility legislation for Saskatchewan.

"Accessibility legislation is another step we are taking to remove barriers which will allow all Saskatchewan people to participate in our communities," Social Services Minister Lori Carr said.  "While we have made progress, we have a lot of work to do as it is crucial that we make our province accessible for people with disabilities." 

Quick Facts:

• About a quarter of Saskatchewan adults aged 15 years or older have a disability.
• More than 1,300 Saskatchewan residents provided input on accessibility legislation during the public engagement process. 
• Only three provinces have passed comprehensive accessibility legislation in Canada.

Descriptive Text of Infographic:

Accessibility Legislation: Participant Snapshot

Where?

Where do you live? – Graph in the shape of Saskatchewan.

66.0% of people said Regina, Saskatoon, Moose Jaw or Prince Albert

10.8% said Other City

10.6% said Town

7.8% said Rural Municipality

4.8% said Village, Resort Village, North or First Nation Community

Who?

How old are you? –  Pie Chart

40.1% of people said they were age 31-49

31.8% said age 50-65

14.6% said age over 65

11.3% said age 19-30

1.8% said Prefer not to answer

0.4% said age under 19

Are you a… 1187 participants, could select more than one answer – Bar Graph

542 (45.7% of participants) people said they were a friend or family member of a person with a disability

460 (38.7% of participants) said person with a disability

150 (12.6% of participants) said no personal connection to a person with a disability

123 (10.3% of participants) said non-paid caregiver of a person with a disability

104 (8.8% of participants) said other

77 (6.5% of participants) said no-worker or employer of a person with a disability

61 (5.1% of participants) said paid caregiver of a person with a disability

What?

What type of barriers do you, or someone you know, experience? 886 participants, participants could select more than one answer – Bar graph taken from full survey results, participants could select more than one answer

670 (75.6% of participants) people said they faced attitude barriers

663 (74.8% of participants) said physical barriers

601 (67.8% of participants) said system barriers

487 (55.0% of participants) said information and communication barriers

358 (40.4% of participants) said technology barriers

39 (4.4% of participants) said other

What type of disability do you, or someone you know, experience? 891 participants, participants could select more than one answer – Bar graph

64.8% of participants said Mobility

39.6% of participants said Flexibility

38.9% of participants said Mental Health

38.6% of participants said Pain-related

34.1% of participants said Developmental

32.5% of participants said Learning

29.1% of participants said Dexterity

23.9% of participants said Memory

20.3% of participants said Seeing

19.3% of participants said Hearing

8.4% of participants said Other

This proclamation is a joint initiative with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Saskatchewan.  Since 1964, SCI Saskatchewan has provided leadership in the development and delivery of programs, services, and resources to Saskatchewan people living with spinal cord injuries and other physical disabilities. 

"National AccessAbility Week is an opportunity to highlight the contributions that all citizens make in our society," Spinal Cord Injury Saskatchewan Executive Director Launel Scott said.  "It is also a time to bring awareness of the importance of accessibility and inclusion in communities and with key stakeholders across Saskatchewan.  SCI Saskatchewan, in collaboration with people living with disabilities, look forward to enhanced accessibility and opportunities to work, play and participate fully in our communities." 

This proclamation supports the Saskatchewan Disability Strategy by helping to create awareness and understanding of the rights of people with disabilities.  Saskatchewan residents and communities that have done work which aligns with the Disability Strategy are encouraged to share their accomplishments using the hashtag #SKDisability. 

For more information about the supports and services that SCI Saskatchewan provides, please visit scisask.ca.

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