In August, we published an editorial asking council to reconsider a request from the Blue Heron Support Services Association (BHSSA) to waive the normal aquatics centre fee for support workers when accompanying their clients.
Once again we find ourselves in the same position after Town of Barrhead councillors denied the same request a second time.
The reason why BHSSA is making the request is two-fold. Firstly, it places a financial hardship on many of their clients — if they want to use the facility, they have to pay not only for themselves, but their support worker.
The BHSSA argues that it isn’t the support worker or attendant that is making use of the facility, but the client, who without the worker’s help wouldn’t be able to take advantage it.
While we understand running a recreational facility is expensive and the town needs to offset a reasonable portion of its operating expenses we believe all residents should be able to access a public facility regardless of their physical, or mental abilities.
This is the reason public facilities are required to be designed with the idea that people with disabilities are not unfairly discriminated against due to lack of access.
And this is why a number of municipalities, as well as business, are waiving its fees for attendants of disabled individuals.
In Kelowna, B.C., it is the city’s standard practice to waive the fees of personal care attendants at recreation facilities.
Nor is it just municipalities and governments that are waiving the fees.
After a quick search, the Leader learned that Air Canada and Westjet either don’t charge or offer subsidized rates for disabled individuals’ personal care attendants.
And these are companies who are in business to make money.
We understand council’s hesitation towards lowering or waiving fees for BHSSA support workers because it sets a precedent. However, we also understand council might have to put in place a process in which a person with a disability must prove their need for an attendant.
One such example can be found in the cities of Guelph and Thunder Bay, which have instituted a Personal Attendant Leisure (PAL) card policy,
We also suggest this might have not been the best time to deny such a request after councillors gave themselves a pay raise without providing an explanation in open council.
