Saskatchewan Accessibility Office Creating a More Inclusive Saskatchewan

The Saskatchewan Accessibility Office (SAO) at the Ministry of Social Services is working across government to improve accessibility, driven by the belief that their work has the potential to significantly improve the quality of life for individuals with disabilities.

The SAO was established in 2023 to develop The Accessible Saskatchewan Act and The Accessible Saskatchewan Regulations, which both came into force in December 2023.

In a very short time, the team has:

• supported the formation of the 15-member Accessibility Advisory Committee that provides advice on proposed accessibility standards and public education and awareness; and
• led the development of the first Government of Saskatchewan Accessibility Plan, which was publicly posted on December 3, 2024. The plan outlines the actions that the provincial government will take to remove and prevent accessibility barriers that individuals experience when they access government services.

Breaking Down Barriers

Over the past year, the team has worked closely with persons with disabilities and heard their stories. The feedback from people with lived experience helped shape the development of The Accessible Saskatchewan Act and government’s Accessibility Plan.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to create meaningful change for persons with disabilities,” says Joshua Hone, a senior policy analyst with the SAO. “We are providing stepping stones that will hopefully shift how people perceive disability.”

Mary-Anne Neumann, another senior policy analyst with the SAO, remembers one of the most impactful statements she heard about disability. “Disability is the only minority group that you can join at any time.

“We often talk about how the prevalence of disability will increase in the province as the population ages. But disability doesn’t just come with age. Some people are born into a world of barriers, and some experience accidents or situations that result in a disability. It’s an issue that we need to care about and start addressing now, in the present, not only when disability directly touches our lives.”

“It was great that we were able to ask the public about what kinds of accessibility barriers they experience, as everyone’s situation and circumstances are so different,” says Stefanie Wihlidal, director of the SAO. “Hearing about people’s experiences really helped us to understand where the barriers are, and people offered good advice on how we could make improvements. The first-hand experience is so important for helping everyone understand how a simple thing, like an automatic door not working, could prevent someone from getting into a building to access the services they need.”

Collaborating as One-Team

The Government of Saskatchewan Accessibility Plan is the result of extensive collaboration across government, reflecting a shared commitment to advancing accessibility in the province.

“Our colleagues across government truly demonstrated a one-team approach, showing a passion and interest in how their respective ministries can help to improve the accessibility of government facilities, programs and services,” says Joshua.

“For some areas of government, accessibility is something they’ve been focused on for some time, and for other areas it is relatively new,” Stefanie explains. “Working together gives us the opportunity to share and learn from each other’s experiences.”

What’s Next for the SAO?

While the release of the plan marks one milestone, the SAO will be busy on the implementation of government’s Accessibility Plan.

The team believes that their work has only just begun and envisions a future where Saskatchewan is fully inclusive, allowing everyone to participate and engage in their communities. “It’s a small team, but we care deeply about the work we are doing,” says Mark Wells, senior policy analyst with the SAO. “We are all striving to learn and grow together to improve the lives of people with disabilities.”