Citizens complained that the premises chosen by Arrondissement de Rivière-des-Prairies – Pointe-aux-Trembles for the opening of a register on a project requiring zoning change, was not accessible to people in wheelchairs and, as a result, that these citizens could not exercise their right to sign the said register if they wished to do so.
We contacted the borough director who immediately accepted our suggestion to set up a special area, on the first floor of the building, where people with reduced mobility could sign the register. This was certainly not an ideal set-up but, nevertheless, it allowed the concerned citizens to exercise their democratic right.
In 2008, our office identified new accessibility problems with regard to this place and, therefore, we submitted further requests to the borough.
The elevator in this building was now functional and accessible for wheelchairs but only through an entrance located at the back of the building: there was no indication at the main entrance of the building, however, to inform people in wheelchairs that such access was available and how to get there. Following our intervention, two signs were installed, one on the main entrance door and another, on the side of the building.
During a winter visit, we also noted that the path leading to the back of the building was not adequately cleared from the snow. At our request, the borough intervened with the owners of the building and required that more specific attention be paid to snow removal, on this path.
Although this borough office is a temporary one, it will be used until the end of 2009. It was, therefore, important for us that, as long as the borough office is located there, these premises be adequatly accessible to all, including people with reduced mobility.
