With the MODL and its member communities signing off on an accessibility plan last week it will now serve as a lens to analyze new and existing projects.
MODL Mayor Carolyn Bolivar Getson says that now when municipal governments look to build something or offer a new service it will have to be done through the lens of accessibility.
“When the government-mandated these plans that’s what they wanted, for municipal governments to be prepared to identify potential accessibility issues and then find ways to solve them.”
She says in most cases accessibility solutions come at a cost and now by utilizing the accessibility plan they can better plan for those financial burdens or at least be aware of them before undertaking a new endeavor.
The plan targets five key areas that currently face accessibility issues and describes how municipal governments should approach the challenges associated with each. These priority areas include Goods and Services, Information and Communications, Transportation,
Employment, and Built Environment.
Each category identifies current issues faced in that sector and offers commitments to improve them. The full document can be viewed through the Accessible Lunenburg County website.
With the MODL’s plan now ratified, the four other members of the MODL are now working on their own specific plans that will offer more insight into the issues faced in each community. The five-member communities are Bridgewater, Lunenburg, Mahone Bay, Chester, and the MODL.
The plans are all expected to be updated as time passes with the plan explicitly stating, “As new standards are introduced and new technologies become available, we will review and update this plan to ensure its relevance. As such, this plan should be
interpreted as a living document.”
Municipalities across Canada were required to develop accessibility plans back in 2019, the MODL plan took 18 months to complete.
