By: Taylor Bauer
In Alberta, people who have sensory impairments, which includes people who are blind, Deafblind or have low vision, are not eligible to receive a parking placard for people with disabilities. Unlike other provinces in Canada, Alberta stands alone in explicitly excluding people with sensory impairments from applying for a parking placard.
The current criteria is exclusionary and has caused significant barriers to Albertans who are blind or have low vision who must navigate busy parking lots without tactile markers. In the absence of tactile markers that can assist a person to safely navigate from an accessible parking space to the door of a business, Albertans who are blind or have low vision face unique safety concerns beyond the conventional physical or mobility impairment criteria that are currently used to determine eligibility in the province.
Acknowledging these challenges, CNIB is advocating for an amendment to the provincial eligibility criteria to include people who are blind or have low vision through a letter to community stakeholders and Alberta’s Minister of Transportation.
Several provinces, including British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Yukon, have already embraced eligibility criteria for accessible parking permits that recognize the unique safety concerns faced by residents who are blind or partially sighted. By adopting similar changes, Alberta can ensure the safety and independence of approximately 160,350 people living with blindness or low vision, as identified by the 2017 Canadian Survey on Disabilities.
CNIB is awaiting a response from Alberta’s Minister of Transportation on this important issue. If you would like more information or to get involved, email taylor.bauer@cnib.ca.