The City of Weyburn Accessibility Committee is launching a survey early next week, a crucial part of the development of a community Accessibility Plan.
In early February, Weyburn City Council approved the development and implementation of an accessibility plan. This is part of the provincial standard set in the Accessible Saskatchewan Act, requiring public sector bodies to create accessibility plans by December 3, 2025..
As part of the plan's development, the city is inviting residents, businesses and community organizations to participate in a short public survey launching on Monday.
Abby Kradovill is the safety coordinator for the City of Weyburn. She highlights their vision for ‘a community for all’, saying accessibility is a key part of that goal.
“These plans aim to remove and prevent barriers to accessibility, ensuring that all members of the community can fully participate in daily activities, work, and play.”
Kradovill explains the survey will directly influence what is included in the completed accessibility plan. She says it will address a variety of barriers that may be experienced by different people in the community.
“We're taking a comprehensive approach by addressing a combination of barriers. So physical, informational, systemic, and attitudinal, we recognize that accessibility is more than just ramps and elevators. It's also how people interact with our spaces, our services, and communications."
The survey itself was designed with accessibility in mind, as Kradovill explains the city is committed to making sure every Weyburn voice is heard.
“We are using SurveyMonkey and that is compatible with screen readers and meets some specific requirements and it will be available in print format and different formats if required."
"In addition, we're working with some community stakeholder and advocacy groups like Inclusion, CNIB, Envision, and some other local groups and asking them to help distribute the survey and encourage participation from those who may experience barriers firsthand.”
She provides some examples of the changes that could result, including improvements to the city website, improvements to signage, infrastructure upgrades, and staff training practices.
As the development of the plan continues, Kradovill says they are keeping a focus on accountability. The Accessibility Committee is reporting progress to City Council regularly, and providing regular updates to the public.
“That transparency will really help keep us on track and ensure ongoing community engagement, because accessibility is a journey, and we want to make sure we're moving forward together as a community.”
She encourages all community members to participate in the survey. It will become available on Monday on the City of Weyburn Website.