People in Saskatchewan can have their say in how to improve accessibility in the province.

The government is gathering feedback from the public as a first step in creating new accessibility legislation improving the quality of life for people with disabilities and removing barriers that prevent them from fully accessing and participating in their community. According to the province, almost a quarter of Saskatchewan people 15 years old or older have a disability with that number increasing every year.

The first stage of the engagement will focus on developing an act or written law to make up the foundation of the legislation. The new legislation will look at the design of public spaces, information and communications, service animal certification, public sector procurement, public sector employment and public transportation.

“It is important for our province to be accessible and inclusive so people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else to participate and contribute to our communities,” says Social Services Minister Lori Carr. “I encourage Saskatchewan residents to take part in the numerous opportunities available to engage in the development of this legislation.”

Once the legislation has been laid out, a second round of public engagement is planned with the public giving more feedback. The second phase will then get into more regulations and standards where the government will be asking for more details on specific rules under each key area identified in the act.

Accessibility legislation was one of the recommendations from the Saskatchewan Disability Strategy which was released in 2015.

The survey and other forms of engagement such as their online discussion forum will run from February 4th to March 31st.