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NLIS 7
May 25, 2005
(Government Services)
Minister responds to
buildings accessibility concerns
Government Services Minister Dianne Whalen reiterated today that
government is not lessening its commitment to enforcing buildings
accessibility requirements with a recent amendment to the Buildings
Accessibility Act.
Government amended the legislation in the spring session to remove the
mandatory requirement for a final inspection prior to occupancy for
public buildings. The design plans will still have to be reviewed and
approved prior to construction and progress inspections will still be
conducted where warranted during construction. Only the timing of the
final inspection is being changed to address a backlog issue during peak
construction periods.
�We are removing the mandatory requirement for a final inspection prior
to occupancy in some circumstances only. We are not removing the
requirement for an inspection altogether,� Minister Whalen said. �The
overall design will still be reviewed and approved by the Buildings
Accessibility Division prior to construction, ensuring that building
plans conform to the stringent accessibility requirements of the
legislation and that there are no major accessibility issues with the
building design.�
All projects will still be inspected at some stage, either during
construction, before occupancy or shortly thereafter based on inspection
schedules in various areas.
�The accessibility requirements are unchanged. We are committed to
enforcing the requirements for buildings accessibility and we will make
every effort to inspect buildings prior to occupancy,� said Minister
Whalen. �This will just provide some flexibility in the scheduling of
inspections so businesses and occupants can move in without prolonged
delay.�
Where possible, pre-occupancy inspections will continue to be conducted
and the department will work with the construction industry to ensure
compliance. The department can still attach pre-occupancy restrictions
on any construction project if there is a concern. The legislation
ensures that the plan design approval may include a condition that a
final inspection before occupancy be conducted.
�While some members of the disabled community have termed this a
regressive action, I can assure them that this government is committed
to ensuring access to public and other buildings,� Minister Whalen said.
�Buildings owners and contractors are still responsible to meet the
requirements of the legislation or take corrective action at their own
expense.�
The issue is not a lack of staff to perform the inspections, but rather
the fact that the work is concentrated in a few months during peak
construction season. Adopting a more flexible approach to buildings
accessibility inspections allows this work to be spread out over a
longer period. Government is committed to reducing the red tape
associated with doing business by allowing some flexibility on building
occupancy and ensuring the most efficient use of resources. This will
help ensure that businesses are not adversely affected by a delayed
inspection while still insisting on compliance with accessibility
requirements.
The Buildings Accessibility Advisory Board, which includes members of
the disabled community, was informed of the change shortly before the
legislation was introduced into the House of Assembly.
Media contact: Tracy Barron, Communications, (709) 729-4860, 690-6157
2005 05 25
5:10 p.m.
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