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The airport terminal in Hall Beach has a ramp for people in wheelchairs but no automatic door, making it harder to get in and out. A group of residents is trying to set up a disability committee to push for change, and the GN has committed to doing a territory-wide inventory to see how many public buildings don't have automatic doors. - Emily Ridlington/NNSL photo

SANIRAJAK/HALL BEACH - For several years, Hall Beach hamlet Councillor Mary Kuppaq has been trying to set up a disability committee.

One of the reasons why, she said, is because elders are having trouble accessing buildings in the community.

"At the health centre there's no automatic door, and some of them are having a hard time getting in and out," she said.

Kuppaq said there is a ramp at the airport but, again, no automatic door.

That is why she and other Nunavummiut have been pressing the Department of Community and Government Services to install more automatic doors in public buildings to improve accessibility to them for all citizens.

For the last four years since she began working with the Nunavummi Disabilities Makinnasuaqtiit Society based in Iqaluit, Annie Quirke has been trying to figure out how many hamlet and Government of Nunavut buildings are "truly" accessible, as she puts it.

"I've tried to contact them to see as we need that information," she said, adding she has never had any luck in finding out the answer.

The reason why Quirke cannot find the answer is because no one knows.

According to the 2005 National Building Code, all public buildings have to be accessible to all citizens. However this does not mean there has to

be an automatic door.

Quirke said just because a building has a ramp does not mean it is accessible.

"Our buildings are not universal accessibility as we have to pick their entrances and not all entrances allow a person in a wheelchair," said Lorne Levy, assistant deputy minister for capital and technical division, CGS.

He said the territory has not adopted the 2010 building code yet. This means newer buildings being constructed must have automatic doors as now it does fall under code to do so.

Levy estimates the cost of a typical installation is at about $30,000.

"It's not a big issue to put but its the maintenance," he said.

In the 1995 National Building Code, an automatic door was only required on certain public buildings more than 500 square metres. This means buildings like hospitals and schools would more likely qualify than a community learning centre.

Near the end of the summer, the government will begin what they call a condition assessment or inventory of all hamlet and GN facilities.

Levy said based on his interview with News/North, automatic doors are going to be added to the list for his team to look at.

Earlier on this spring he said the tender would be out by now.

"We we're a little ambitious," he said.

The plan now is have the tender put out at the end of June with it being awarded in July, said Sonya Matthews, acting director of property and asset management, CGS.

She added she is hoping all the work will be

done by January.

Levy estimates the cost for the assessment will be $3.8 million with this including software updates, staff training, travel, hotel, meals and other incidentals.

Former city councillor David Irqittuq has also been working to set up a disability committee.

He knows seven or eight people in his community who would benefit from

having automatic doors.

While he said he is happy they will be included in the survey, it doesn't mean the health centre or any of the other buildings in Hall Beach will be getting one soon.

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