Week 4

This past weekend I took a trip up to Burlington, Canada to IKEA to get a dresser. While I was there I noticed something that was missing in terms of adaptions for those with disabilities. While we were loading the car we were forced to carry the cart, with the dresser, off the curb, as there was no ramp. At first it seemed odd to me that there was no ramp at a location where people were moving boxes and lifting heavy things. After a discussion about this, while lifting the boxes, I decided to Google if Canada had a disabilities act. Canada currently does not have a law that is similar to the American's with Disabilities Act (1990.) Apparently there is one in the works but it has been in the works since 2005 and has not been put into law yet. I am shocked by this discovery and their lack of Disabilities Act. According to the website Canadians With Disabilities Act it does not seem to be a high priority to legislator in Canada.

This experience has made me realize how important Universal Design is to everyone. By making places accessible to anyone it makes it easier for everyone. Hand rails, curb cutouts, ramps, elevators etc. make it easier for everyone to move around buildings and are often taken for granted by many. It wasn't until there wasn't a curb cutout that I thought about how nice it is to have them. The Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) is a great piece of legislation that is making the lives of those with and without disabilities easier and it is a shame that not all countries have similar regulations.