Chamber, businesses struggle with accessibility

It’s been many years since David Onley, who served seven years as Ontario’s Lieutenant Governor and visited Niagara-on-the-Lake at least twice, began his advocacy for accessibility.

It was his priority during his two terms, but as a polio survivor left with his own mobility problems, it had begun back in the 1990s.

Onley, who died earlier this year, spoke of his frustration over the lack of progress being made to improve accessibility for Ontarians with disabilities, outlined in a review of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, which he wrote for the government in 2019. The legislation had been passed in 2005.

Another review in 2022, the fourth to examine the implementation of the legislation — or lack of it — said little progress had been made since the law was passed.

And as Dave Antaya, NOTL’s representative on the region’s Joint Committee on Accessibility, told The Local, very little has changed to prepare local businesses for the deadline of compliance by 2025, as set in the 2005 legislation.

Last month, the town raised a flag for the regional committee, which has a goal of making Niagara municipalities more accessible.

Antaya says despite the work of the committee, at least 50 per cent of NOTL businesses have accessibility issues — “and some have said the number is well north of 60 per cent,” he adds. With that legislative deadline looming, it’s going to be a financial crunch for businesses that haven’t started to budget or prepare for accessibility improvements.

What the implications of that deadline might be aren’t known, he said. “Will businesses be fined? And if so, by how much?” he asks.

Considering “the fundamental lack of change,” or even of awareness of what needs to be changed, the deadline is not realistic, he says. “In reality, I don’t think that is going to happen. This isn’t going to be resolved in two years.”

There seem to be more questions than answers, and more problems than solutions.

It’s a complicated issue that begins with how businesses become compliant, given the problems presented by heritage buildings, crowded sidewalks and streets, and the costs associated with any work that needs to be done, says Antaya.

During his two terms with the accessibility committee, he has come to realize that public buildings across all Niagara municipalities, in fact all levels of government buildings, have for the most part become compliant with the legislation, “and in instances where problems are discovered, they are quickly addressed,” he says.

But it’s a different story with privately owned businesses that are required to be accessible to the public.

About 20 per cent of visitors who come to NOTL have disabilities, says Antaya.

Businesses face a struggle of how to become compliant and the cost of improvements, with some tax credits available but no grants to help.

However, there is an added economic benefit to being accessible, he adds. “Why would you ignore 20 per cent of the people who might want to come into your business?”

Minerva Ward, NOTL Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, is working on accessibility in the Old Town, and has come across one solution available that would help businesses with a step to get through their door.

In a recent letter to business owners, she encourages them to look at installing single-step ramps. By doing so, she says, businesses will become more inclusive and welcoming to a larger customer base. “Accessible entrances allow individuals with mobility challenges, such as wheelchair users, parents with strollers, and the elderly,” access to businesses, creating a positive and inclusive experience for visitors and also demonstrating “a commitment to diversity and equal access for everyone in our community,” she says.

“Moreover, installing accessible ramps aligns with the principles of social responsibility and customer service excellence.”

Ensuring accessibility, she tells business owners, “sends a powerful message about your values and your dedication to providing exceptional customer experiences. Inclusivity has become a priority for many customers, and they are more likely to support businesses that share their values and demonstrate a commitment to accessibility.”

Integrating wheelchair-accessible ramps “also presents a compelling business case,” she adds, by attracting and retaining customers who rely on mobility aids.

Ward mentions a non-profit organization called STOPGAP, which makes affordable, portable ramps for single-step entrances that can be easily installed and removed as needed.

However, she told The Local, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of interest on the part of the merchants — there was not much of a response to her letter.

Antaya says while the ramps might provide some accessibility, there are many businesses that have more than a single step that makes their space inaccessible. He also envisions problems with using them on a busy sidewalk at the height of the tourist season.

That is the biggest issue for NOTL, he says — possible solutions are made more difficult by the lack of space at the front of buildings. One possible long-term solution would be removing parking from Queen Street to allow more room in front of doorways to make them accessible, he suggests. That would require parking nearby, possibly underground, with lots of room, such as the former hospital site.

Whatever the solution, it’s not going to be quick or easy, he says.

Ward agrees that the portable ramp would not help all merchants, but it would help some, and the town has applied for a grant to help offset costs, she said, although CAO Marnie Cluckie confirmed there has been no response to that request yet.

The provincial act to provide accessibility for all has limited exemptions where compliance might affect the natural, cultural or heritage value of a protected facility or environment, Cluckie says. While it aims for a barrier-free province by setting accessibility standards, “the exemptions acknowledge the challenges that accessibility features may pose to preserving the heritage value. Therefore, there may be limited exemptions for heritage buildings regarding certain accessibility requirements, depending on the circumstances.”

It’s important to consult with experts about specific circumstances, she says.

The town needs someone to take on a management project and work with businesses on accessibility issues, also possibly coordinating with the NOTL Rotary Club, which has also offered to partner on the project at some level, Ward says.

In addition to helping other businesses, Ward is also working toward an accessible, street-level location for the Chamber offices.

Their space is currently on the lower levels of the historic Court House building, now a National Historic Site — a building which was completed in 1847. For many years in recent history the downstairs space was the location of the town’s public library, but was vacated when the new building on Anderson Lane was ready to open in 2000, and at that time, the Court House space was taken over by the Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber needs a new location, both for accessibility, says Ward, and because the basement is too small to accommodate the Chamber of Commerce and NOTL Tourism.

Visitors have to make their way downstairs to find a wall of brochures regarding accommodations and attractions in Niagara-on-the-Lake, or to talk to a staff member for recommendations. The space is not accessible to visitors with mobility issues — an elevator in the building intended for accessibility is not open to the public, unless the upstairs is being used, says Ward.

“We need to find street level space,” she says. “It’s our business centre, and it’s not accessible. It’s really far beneath what we should be doing as a chamber of commerce. We should be accessible for all. We’re just making do until we can move.”

However, finding space can be issue, especially with the high cost of rents in the area.

Since the town partners with the chamber on the cost of information services, a decision to move, and who would be responsible for the rent, would have to be made in partnership with the town, Ward says.

But those decisions have to be made, both for the chamber office and local businesses, she adds.

“We should be doing better as a town,” says Ward, especially as a world-class destination. “We need to think ahead about how we can serve our visitors. We’re not doing a good job of serving all of them.”