Consultations to Build Solutions
The Provincial Government built on existing research and community knowledge by inviting ideas about solutions that would remove and prevent barriers in policies, programs and services as well as throughout all aspects of society.
During the fall of 2010, a broad consultation process took place that engaged over 600 individuals and organizations in identifying solutions to barriers experienced by people with disabilities.
A wealth of creative and well thought-out ideas were offered at the public consultation sessions, focus groups and interviews,along with email, phone / TTY and written submissions.
The consultation process respected and promoted the motto of the international community of people with disabilities: “Nothing About Us Without Us”. People with disabilities, their families,friends and organizations, as well as the general public, were actively invited to share knowledge and expertise gained through personal experience. All components of the consultation process were fully accessible to ensure people could provide input with dignity. Physical access, sign language interpretation,captioning, alternate formats, scent-free environments and accessible websites were important to making sure the consultation process was fully accessible.
An “Inclusive Consultation Toolkit”was developed and tested during the consultation process. This toolkit has now become a guide to ensure future Provincial Government consultations are accessible to all citizens. Already, positive changes are taking place due to the development of the strategy.
What People Said
The summary below provides an overview of what was heard during consultations. Several themes emerged during the consultation process. These have been captured in the strategy and include:
| Theme | Sample solutions |
|---|---|
| Accessibility | Access with dignity to public buildings and places |
| Disability-related supports | Access to assistive technology and personal supports based on individual need |
| Education | Individual student supports in classrooms |
| Transportation | Accessible taxis and personal vehicles, accessible public transportation systems |
| Housing | Houses and apartments built with Universal Design principles, accessible and visitable neighbourhoods |
| Health care | Service models that support Independent Living (consumer) principles, accessible health care facilities and offices |
| Service information and coordination | First-stop access for information and connection to services |
| Information and communication | Information in clear language, available American Sign Language (ASL); televised messages captioned |
| Employment | Accessible work places and application processes, targeted programs |
| Knowledge building | Positive attitudes, free of stereotypes |
Participants also identified key areas for consideration, including:
| Key area | Sample considerations |
|---|---|
| Aboriginal people | Further consultations with Aboriginal people to determine best approaches |
| Labrador | Incorporating unique needs of Labrador within initiatives |
| Rural | Identifying and working from assets within rural communities |
| Women | Gender and disability lens to address multiple layers of barriers and discrimination faced by women and girls with disabilities |
Primarily, the ideas and solutions brought forward by participants focused on three areas for change:
| Area | What it includes |
|---|---|
| Attitudes | Societal attitudes and knowledge base |
| Policies | Procedures, regulations and legislation |
| Services | Eligibility, scope, delivery models and accountability |
A summary of what was heard during the public consultations is posted as an American Sign Language translation video. It is also available in alternate formats upon request.