Barrier Free Saskatchewan
Nothing About Us Without Us
Let’s be Accessible!
www.barrierfreesaskatchewan.org
February 9, 2021
Honorable Minister Carr
Minister of Social Services
Mailing Address Room 303, Legislative Building
2405 Legislative Drive
Regina, Saskatchewan
S4S 0B3
Minister Carr,
Barrier Free Saskatchewan (BFSK) previously requested that you meet with our membership to discuss the Saskatchewan Party platform on Persons With Disabilities brought forward in the last provincial election. We were looking forward to hearing your views of the protection of persons with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic and the critical medical triage policy that the Government of Saskatchewan has approved. At the same time, we had other questions for you in regard to your promise of the creation and implementation of an Accessibility Act that would engage and include our community in the recognition and spirit of “Nothing About Us Without Us.”
We finalized a date to meet during a scheduled BFSK March meeting. Shortly thereafter we were contacted by the Office of Disability issues with a request to answer a list of questions so they could subsequently supply briefing notes to you. Once this was complied with you requested a list of BFSK members that would attend the general meeting. Finally, instead of respectfully joining us in our scheduled meeting conducted on Zoom, you wanted to host our meeting via a Government of Saskatchewan conference call initiated by your office.
I find it unfortunate that you, have put so many barriers on our not-for-profit organization. I, also, find it rude, insulting, and disempowering for you to attempt to control our meeting on a platform we know to not be fully accessible and inclusive to our community. These actions are likened to receiving an invitation to supper and subsequently asking your host to change the date, time, and location; requesting a list of all who all will attend, and demanding provision of information on conversations that will occur,
Consequently, Minister Carr, because of your actions, Barrier Free Saskatchewan wishes to withdraw our invitation for you to meet with our members and bring greetings from the Government of Saskatchewan.
It is clear that you are not comfortable with addressing the constituents of your portfolio nor attending a general meeting of persons with disabilities to discuss our issues and concerns.
We sincerely hope there will come a time that you do not view us as a threat and will reach a comfort level of being able to engage with and address the issues of persons with disabilities. We look forward to the time you fully embrace your obligations and responsibilities and welcome the opportunity to come to our house to sit down with us to learn about our concerns and realities.
We really do hope you will be able to grow in your new portfolio and that you at some point in time understand the phrase “Nothing About Us Without Us”.
Sincerely,
Robin East
President
Barrier Free Saskatchewan