14 Aug MLAs will open their offices to all Nova Scotians

Contrarian friend Gus Reed, co-founder of the James McGregor Stewart Society, sums up the significance of a unanimous decision today by the House of Assembly Management Commission that will require that constituency offices for all Nova Scotia MLAs to be barrier free:

This simple regulation marks a sea change in approach for the provincial government:

• People with disabilities are acknowledged to have the same rights as others
• Written rules, rather than promises, are the solution
• All parties agree on the principle, the problem and the solution
• The initiative came from the community of Nova Scotians with disabilities

Let’s hope that the lesson is not lost and that it sets a precedent.  In order for Nova Scotians with disabilities to become full citizens, they need equal access to all parts of their world.

Amen. Congratulations to all involved (and a special salute for Kelly McKenna, the James McGregor Stewart Society intern who bird-dogged the issue all summer, insisting that MLAs get the job done).