App helps people with disabilities determine, document building accessibility

A group advocating for people with disabilities in Newfoundland and Labrador is hoping that a new app will make it easier to see what buildings in the province are accessible.

"Accessibility is a problem across thecountry and in our province,"says Kim White, executive director forthe Coalition of Persons with Disabilities (CODNL).

The groupis working to spread the wordaboutAccess Now, an interactive map that shares the accessibilitystatus of various businesses and buildingsaround the world.

Getting up to speed

White said somebuilders and contractorsmistakenly believe thatas long as building codes are followed, a building is accessible.

But White said this isn't the case, and legislation surrounding accessibility is long outdated.

"The new government has said that it's looking at a disabilities act, our federal government is looking at a [national] disabilities act as well," White told CBC's Central Morning Show.

"So we're hoping to get more up to speed for the 21st century."

White said there's a misconception that it costs much more to make a building accessible.

But if a building is being constructed with accessibility in mind, she said it can cost "as low as one per cent" more than average.

On the app

The Access Now app is aimed at making it easier for people to see just how mobility-friendly buildings are. If information isn't already available, users can add and rate a location themselves.

"Once you visit a physical location, you can go in and then add to the app whether or not it was accessible and what kind of features [it has]," saidWhite.

When the coalition first discovered the app, White saidthere was almost nothing thereabout buildings in the province. That's something she's hoping to change.

Users can choose to give a building one offour designations:accessible, partially accessible, patio access only and not accessible.

"We thought it was just a great way to build information about accessibility in the province," shesaid.

White said anyone can post information using the app,adding she's seen a growingnumber of local restaurants and service clubs popping up in the program.

"Spreading the information about what it means to be accessible is always good as well,and getting people informed about what they can do to make locations and broader society more accessible for people."