Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last week was National AccessAbility Week in Canada, which is an annual occasion for Canadians that brings attention to the issue of accessibility and recognizes the efforts of individuals, communities, and workplaces that actively work to remove barriers to accessibility and inclusion.

Mr. Speaker, the issue of accessibility across the NWT has become an increasingly pressing issue for those with less-able bodies, and the longer our government does nothing to change things, the longer we will continue to marginalize those with disabilities. This has been said by numerous territorial organizations, such as the NWT Disabilities Council, the NWT Human Rights Commission, and the Yellowknife Chapter of the MS Society of Canada, to name a few. To put it into perspective, according to the 2017 Canadian Survey on Disability, the NWT has a total of 6,350 people with a disability over the age of 15. Furthermore, according to the NWT Human Rights Commission 2018-2019 Annual Report, in total, 66 percent of all new complaints were allegations of discrimination based on disability.

I would like to also add that, even those without disabilities can have troubles accessing certain spaces across the territory. I say that from experience, Mr. Speaker, because even for myself, I am at a point in my life where I must consider my own accessibility needs before I travel to most places. I do not have a disability, but if someone like me, an elder with minor mobility issues, cannot access certain spaces adequately, consider what it is like for someone in a wheelchair or a walker entering those same spaces.

Mr. Speaker, part of the problem with the NWT and accessibility is that our jurisdiction is one of 10 other provinces and territories who do not have any legislation on accessibility. Absent of any legislation, our territorial building codes have no frame of reference, no standards to follow in constructing buildings as barrier-free. By comparison, Ontario is one of the three provinces with accessibility legislation, and they have set the goal to be barrier-free by 2025, setting a standard for designing public spaces, transportation, and other customer services. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted