Accessibility discussion delayed as security measures remain in place at Cambridge City Hall

Some people who want t make their voice heard in Cambridge say limitations at city hall are causing problems. CTV’s Karis Mapp explains.

As access to Cambridge City Hall remains limited following security concerns, a father and son who had hoped to speak during a council meeting said their delegation has been pushed back.

Last month, the city announced a scheduled city council meeting was being moved online following an incident with a disruptive member of the public.

The Waterloo Regional Police Service later confirmed to CTV News that incident involved a threatening voicemail. Police said the person who made the call never appeared at any city facilities and there were no grounds for criminal charges.

However, weeks later, the city is still hosting modified meetings, with city councillors welcome around the horseshoe while members of the public can only attend virtually or by phone.

That change is posing a major problem for some accessibility advocates.

Council was originally scheduled to consider the city’s multi-year accessibility plan on Tuesday. The document identifies barriers that people with disabilities may face and explores solutions to those situations. The accessibility plan is meant to be reviewed every five years, but Cambridge’s last one expired in 2021.

Ironically, the decision to continuing to hold hybrid meetings means some delegates who wanted to speak on the issue would be unable to make their thoughts known.

“A lot of folks with disabilities communicate in different ways and may need to use a communication device,” Sheri Roberts, a Cambridge city councillor, said.

Devin Sisak, Robert’s partner, had been set to address council alongside his 12-year-old son, Holden.

Holden has Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, a condition that can cause delayed motor development. In the past, Holden has used a device to help him communicate with council.

“It’s a tablet on his wheelchair,” Sisak explained. “He has words you can select from. He can build phrases in it, and it is his voice.”

Now, Holden will have to wait to have his say.

“I signed up online on the sheet to delegate, for myself and for Holden.,” Sisak said. “Then I sent the clerk an email saying Holden can’t really do virtual, it doesn’t really work with this speech device. He needs to be accommodated. And then I got an email back saying that the item was being pulled and would come at a later date.”

Holden was disappointed by the news.

“He likes to have his voice heard,” Sisak said. “He likes to stand up for himself, and he takes pride in advocating for himself.”Roberts acknowledged Holden was not the only person impacted by the decision.

“From what I’ve heard there were a few people who were coming to delegate who had requested in-person delegation as a result of their disabilities,” Roberts said.

“When you live with a disability, it feels like sometimes you have to fight for everything. But when it comes to the democratic process, we should be able to allow people with disabilities to participate exactly the same way that everyone else can. And if that means finding a way to accommodate them, being creative, then we need to try to make that happen as much as possible,” Roberts said.

Sisak hopes the discussion will be brought back to council chambers soon. However, in the meantime, an event scheduled to take place outside city hall, despite the ongoing additional security measures, has him questioning the need for the restrictive protocols.

“It really made me question what was going on because he can’t go delegate in person. But the next day is OktoberFest lunch, and I go on Facebook and I see social media posts,” he said. “‘You’re being invited to join the mayor council for sausages outside the next day at lunch.’”

For now, it’s not clear when council meetings will once again be open to in-person participation from the public.