News release

Community ACCESS-ability Program--Annapolis Co.

Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations (Oct. 2000 - March 2014)

Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations--Community ACCESS- ability Program--Annapolis Co.


Thanks to Nova Scotia’s Community ACCESS-ability Program, the Lower Granville Community Hall is now easier for people with disabilities to use.

Don Beattie, secretary treasurer of the hall, learned about the program while reading the Chronicle-Herald. He immediately contacted Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations and applied for a grant to help the community hall build a ramp and a barrier-free washroom.

The non-profit community hall provides a number of services for local residents, including a seniors’ coffee club, and the area’s voting station. Community dinners are held at the hall and it acts as a central meeting place for a 25-square kilometre area in the Annapolis Valley. Its volunteers are glad they can now provide services to a wider range of people.

The grant was necessary to help fund the renovations. "We were not in a position to spend a lot, because we don''t have a lot," Mr. Beattie said.

Organizations receive $2 from the province for every dollar raised. Donations of labour and materials can be included in the sponsor''s share, which makes it easier for municipalities and community organizations to raise their portion of the project cost.

Mr. Beattie concedes that there was quite a bit of paperwork involved, but he understands why. In the end, Service Nova Scotia provided the hall with the materials, while Mr. Beattie and other members of the organization performed the labour.

With the help of Service Nova Scotia, the grant covered part of the cost of the ramp, a rail for the front steps, a wider door, and a panic bar. In the washrooms, the hall was able to install grab bars, lever handles and again, wider doors.

The goal of Nova Scotia’s ACCESS-Ability program is to eliminate barriers and to preserve the quality of life for people with disabilities. Stairs, poor lighting and narrow doors are handicaps for many people in this province.

"There is a significant need for this kind of program and we’ve been overwhelmed with the enthusiastic response," said Angus MacIsaac, Minister of Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations. "We have made important investments in making the province more inclusive and more open to all Nova Scotians; we will continue to do so."

Elise Cholette, provincial co-ordinator of the Nova Scotia League for Equal Opportunities agrees that the Community ACCESS-ability Program is making a difference. Ms. Cholette says, "The government is creating a better stage for equity, for people with disabilities."

The four-year program will invest $1.2 million in upgrading public places. Wheelchair ramps and lifts, accessible washrooms and automatic doors are examples of the projects sponsored by Community ACCESS-ability in community halls, recreational facilities, municipal offices and other locations across the province.