An interview with Katie Aubrecht!

An interview with Katie Aubrecht!

By Kendall Worth!

 

Kendall Worth and Katie Aurbrecht

Katie is the lead reviewer on a “review of the Nova Scotia Accessibility Act”. Her team includes Kelly O’Neil, Tammy Bernasky, Julianne Acker-Verney, Lisa Snider and Shirley Hodder. Katie teaches and does research in disability studies at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish.

She wanted to meet with me to tell me about the review and opportunities for deaf, neuro-diverse and persons with disabilities, to share their stories about accessibility as part of the review. She wants to know if people feel valued with the provincial accessibility legislation in place and if they feel like they have been meaningfully included in accessibility planning.

The Accessibility Act involves the development of accessibility standards and compliance with these standards, and the creation of a Directorate and Accessibility Advisory Board to support this work and advance disability issues in Nova Scotia. It focuses on the human rights of people with disabilities, including persons with disabilities in work, and to improve the accessibility of the places where people live, work, learn, work and play.

One thing that the review team wants to understand is the importance of community in accessibility work. The Act came about because of the activism of the Bill 59 Alliance, which was a group of disability communities and allies. They fought hard for the Act to exist and, as part of the Act, the communities across the province need to develop accessibility plans. The government, universities and colleges, and public libraries have also had to make plans, and more groups are working on these plans. The reviewers want to better understand what disability communities think about this work and what the key issues and barriers are that they continue to face.

Katie and her team will be talking with Nova Scotians about what they know and think about accessibility. They want people to contact them nsreview@stfx.ca or 902-867-4845 to talk with them. They will be talking to people until early July. Then they will be working on a report and recommendations for improving accessibility.

Also I want to add that Katie and have in touch for well over a month and half, prior to meeting up on June 6^th, 2022. I became very interested in her work as described above. I am interested in her work is because there is a strong connection between disability and Poverty. Many people with disabilities live in poverty.

The following are the questions I asked Katie during the interview!

#1 – So tell me about your project you are working on?

A - Katie was hired was hired as an independent reviewer of the act. She is a supervisor of a whole team of people who are reviewing this act. See paragraphs above for details.

#2 – Considering that the Employment Support and Income Assistance Program is the only thing we have here in Nova Scotia that even comes close to a disability living allowance here in Nova Scotia, do you believe that the Income Assistance rates ($950.00 a month) is enough for someone to live on? Do we need a better overall system of receiving support and eliminating poverty?

A - Katie did say that issues of poverty plus accessible/affordable housing were raised in the act. Katie says she does not know much about the ESIA program herself, but ESIA came up in early in consultations, but she did indicate they are still hearing this today through the review. Katie did agree that $950.00 is not enough money for someone to live on.

#3 – Since you live there, what is the Antigonish perspective is on things like poverty, disability issues, mental health and needed services?

A – Katie agrees that these are issues in rural communities. There are people in Antigonish who have to come to Halifax for mental health services. Antigonish does not have the same access that big cities have. Availability of accessible and affordable housing is an issue in Antigonish.

It was pleasure to meet with Katie.