Elections Canada made it very difficult for Rev. Peter Hughes to vote at his Toronto polling station in 2008. With reduced mobility, he ended up going down the steps on his behind. Receiving no sympathy from Elections Canada, he took them to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.
Hughes, a Unitarian minister from Toronto, will speak about his life with his handicap in our modern society at the Elora and Fergus Unitarian Universalist Church on Dec. 9, in the Victoria Centre, 150 Albert Street West, Fergus, at 10am. Everyone is welcome.
Hughes’ presentation will be a personal discussion of his adventures using a walker and a wheelchair, his suit before the tribunal, and a look at how the world is shaped with some speculation as to what else might be done to help people with mobility problems get around, while making them feel good about themselves along the way.
Hughes had to face difficulties, make accommodations to live comfortably and retire early renovating the house and getting the right ambulatory devices. When the adaptation was accomplished and life became less difficult at home, the time came to travel into the world.
Hughes can move around with a walker and wheelchair and has an adapted vehicle, so he can be mobile without help, until he gets out of the car and has to face obstacles, curbs, stairs, steps, ramps that are way too steep. His wife is not always available and he likes to go out and about.
In his travels, Hughes found the USA is ahead of Canada in terms of accessibility. Canada is a good second, while Europe with its old buildings and streets lags far behind. He noted few handicapped people are seen on the streets in Europe. It’s far easier for them to to stay home instead of facing the many obstacles outside, which often can be a humiliating experience.
Venice provides a clear example of how difficult it was to travel for a person with mobility problems. On the boats in the canals it was fine, but as soon as Peter tried to move around through the streets it was basically impossible and there seem to be no handicapped people in Venice. They just stay home.
The biggest danger with a disability is isolation. Those with reduced hearing miss out on social conversations,. Those with reduced eyesight you often require some kind of assistance. With reduced mobility, a person might not be able to exercise basic rights like voting.
Hughes had a close encounter with this particular problem of accessibility and took up the fight with Elections Canada. The case came before the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal and he won.
The tribunal ordered Elections Canada to “cease from situating polling stations in locations that do not provide barrier free access.” Now all polling stations are required to be accessible in Canada.
