Cyclops

I set out in August to take photos of some particularly nasty curb cuts in my neighbourhood, to have something to complain about should the need arise.  It has!    

First, the Northeast entrance to the Public Garden.   Steep, primitive, a 2 inch lip at this end of the concrete.
 

Next, a dangerously short and steep curb ramp on Queen Street

Ditto

Man Bean Vietnamese restaurant, which sealed off its only accessible entrance.  Shame on those sleepyheads in building code land.  (Mother's Pizza in the north end too).

OOPSY!  On my way up Morris St. (West side)

the sidewalk narrows:

and I caught a caster in a waiting, heavily camouflaged (deep, thick grass) patch.  Over I went!  180 pounds of me and 250 pounds of wheelchair.  I hit my head on the granite curb.  Fortunately, two women came along and helped me find wife Lynne.  We debated calling the ambulance (we did) and getting me vertical (we didn't).  The very patient EHS team got me upright and on my way with advice to go to the Emergency Room because I take a blood thinner. 

Here is the Google Streetview of the offending green oasis. You can plainly see the 5 or 6 inch dropoff that caught my wheel.  And the granite pillow.....   

Ditto

So off we went in Vanna White to the Infirmary

where we waited 12 hours for a CT scan.

Polyphemus

Update September14.

I've mostly recovered,  A bruise came and went rather mysteriously on the other eye.

This experience made me wonder if the Built Environment Regulations from the Accessibility Directorate are retroactive or simply apply to the future.   The Directorate has published a Compliance Framework.  They say "The Accessibility Act, enacted in 2017, recognizes that accessibility is a human right and sets a goal of an accessible Nova Scotia by 2030."

These grassy spots are everywhere and clearly dangerous for pedestrians and wheelchairs alike.

The regulations are pretty ambiguous on timing.  Neither of these phrases in the regulations are definitive:

• Sidewalks 13 (1) A prescribed public sector body or the Government must comply with all of the following when designing a sidewalk:
• Curb Ramps 7 (1) A newly installed curb ramp must align with the direction of travel and meet all of the following requirements:

The website says: "The Built Environment Accessibility Standard outlines requirements that organizations need to follow to prevent and remove barriers to accessibility in the built environment."  

And the Act says "Purpose of Act 2 The purpose of this Act is to (a) achieve accessibility by preventing and removing barriers that disable people"

That's pretty clear.  Plan and correct.

I understand that a smaller city like Halifax doesn't have the staff depth to instantly replace all those bad ramps and sidewalks.  But they should be maintaining a public list of infrastructure, rating the elements for condition, compliance and safety.  

In their Accessibility Strategy Annual Update (2025), HRM says

• Upgraded and installed over 350 pedestrian ramps, 1340 Attention Tactile Warning Surface Indicators, and 220 Directional Tactile Warning Surface Indicators to improve safety, wayfinding and access. 

• Audible Pedestrian Signals were added at over 22 locations to enhance accessibility for pedestrians with vision disabilities.         

That sounds promising - there might be a list. 

The Act also says:

 45 (1) The Minister shall appoint a Director of Compliance and Enforcement.

If you go to the Directorate website, there is only the briefest mention of staff titles - no names.  I know that the most recent director has retired, but beyond that?  I'm fairly sure there is no Director of Compliance.

What's that secrecy all about?  The Preamble says

AND WHEREAS persons with disabilities continue to face attitudinal and environmental barriers that prevent them from achieving their full and equal participation in society..........

More next time.