Montreal terrasses lack wheelchair accessibility

Montreal's terrasses area big part of enjoying the city in warmweather.

However, a CBC investigative report revealedthatthe vast majority of terrasses in certain parts of downtown are still not accessible to peoplewho get around in wheelchairs.

Despite a 2011 promise by the city to make all new public buildings accessible,advocates for people withdisabilitiessay terrasses are the latest example of why Montreal lags behind other cities.

'I am not handicapped.Its the society with the misconception and prejudice, thinking we have no moneyor love life.'- Laurent Morissette

Laurent Morissette, a 30-year-old man who relies on a motorized wheelchair to get around,says he isnt surprised.

Morissette's wheelchair is often blocked by a step on manyterrassesin Old Montreal.

Seeing other people having fun onterrasses, laughing, enjoying a steak or a beer and knowing I cannot go to this place it really is undermining our capacity of being a full citizen who can spend money and have fun, saidMorissette.

Its really sad and Im really disappointed about it.

Even if there isa small ramp just a few inches is all that's needed Morissette says the entrances are often too narrowand the tables are so close together that there'sno room for his wheelchair anyway.

And Morissette says that many restaurants that dohave accessibleterrassesdont have accessible bathrooms.

Sidewalk terrassesskirt accessibility rules

More and more terrasses are being built on the sidewalk next to the restaurant, which ispublic, city-owned property.

In 2011, the City of Montreal and 19 boroughs adopted a universal accessibility mandate, promising that all new public buildings will be accessible.

However, the city considers these terrassesinfrastructure and not buildings subject to the building code that mandates accessibility criteria.

That means the 15 per cent of thepopulation who have some form ofdisabilitycould bemissing out.

Accessibility not only for disabilities

Isabelle Ducharme isthe president of Kroul, a group that helps tourists with disabilities navigate the city.

She says that accessibility is an issue for an even larger portion of the population, including parents with strollers, the elderly and people who are recovering from an injury.

Its not just the typical person that you think of in a wheelchair... its more than just the 15 per cent that we can identify. So sometimes it gets pretty frustrating to think, 'How come thats not enough?'" says Ducharme.

"Were not asking for free things or a bypass.We are just asking to have access to the same thing every other Montrealer has access to.

A law in Montreal... eventually

Montreal has apretty poor accessibility record in general compared to other cities,according to many disability experts.

• Wheelchair user demands better Montreal metro access

In the U.S., it's considered discrimination for anyone to not be able to access a building or service under the 1990 American Disability Act.

That means a wheelchair-inaccessible restaurant or hotel violates the ADA.

In Canada, there is no such law.

Olivier Beausoleil, who ischarge ofaccessibility issues for the City of Montreal, says the city has 400 projects on the go to makebuildings and public spaces accessible.

He says the city has completed 60 per cent of the work.

However, Beausoleil says Montrealdoesn't have one policy for all boroughs that would include infrastructure like terrasses.

He says the issue is furthercomplicated bya lack of money, time, and the challenge of reaching consensus with the city, its partners and industry.

Eventually we will have a lawbut, before the law, we will outline the desired standards, saysBeausoleil.

There isa lot of construction on many projects for universal accessibility in the City of Montreal.

A right to enjoy life

Both Ducharme and Morissette are asking that the cityfocus not only on basic needs like transportation and toilets, but also look at access to entertainment and the other activities Montreal is known for, like its terrasses and outdoor festivals.

"I am not handicapped.Its the society with the misconception and prejudice, thinking we have no moneyor love lifeor sex life, for example," said Morissette.

"The moment society stops thinking that way, we will have made a good step towards accessibility and acceptance of difference."