NWT assembly accepts human rights ruling, pays compensation to disabled woman

YELLOWKNIFE – The legislative assembly of the Northwest Territories says it will comply with a ruling by a human rights adjudication panel recommending that it fix a too-heavy door on a washroom for disabled people.

The panel also ordered the assembly to pay $10,000 in compensation to Elizabeth Portman, the woman who filed the complaint.

Portman said she suffered injury to her dignity and self-respect when she tried to use the washroom in November 2013 and found she couldn’t get the door open because the glass and wood were too heavy.

Jackson Lafferty, speaker of the legislature, expressed the assembly’s regret to Portman and called it a “valuable learning experience.”

Lafferty said the incident has resulted in significant improvements to the accessibility of the building by all members of the public.

Although not included in the panel’s order, the assembly has also scheduled human rights training for its staff commencing in October.

“As the ‘Place of the People,’ the legislative assembly should be accessible to all residents of the Northwest Territories,” said Lafferty.

“We will continue to review and make improvements to the assembly building as we move forward into the future.”