A sloping patch of sidewalk in downtown Moncton might go unnoticed by most pedestrians, but for wheelchair users and others with mobility challenges, it’s one of many subtle yet serious obstacles that make cities across Canada difficult—or even dangerous—to navigate.

NB Media Co-op volunteer Matthew Wright, who has been a full-time wheelchair user since 2020, teamed up with reporter David Gordon Koch to produce a video illustrating just how treacherous unseen dips, divots, and uneven surfaces can be for people with disabilities.

Wright, also a member of the NB Coalition of Persons with Disabilities, says these issues are not just about sidewalks—they reflect a much broader problem: a lack of meaningful consultation with people from the disability community when new infrastructure is designed and built.

“I’ve gone into buildings with supposedly accessible bathrooms, only to find I can’t even get through the doorway,” Wright said. “People assume that if something meets the building code, it must be right. But that’s just not the case.”

The situation is even more complicated by the way support systems are structured. In some provinces, if a person with a disability receives even modest compensation for their time and expertise during consultations, it can trigger clawbacks to vital benefits, like social assistance or housing subsidies.

However, there’s a glimmer of progress: on Friday, the provincial government announced that the new Canada Disability Benefit—introduced by the federal government—will be exempt from such calculations. The move is intended to protect recipients from losing other essential supports as a result of receiving the new benefit.

New Brunswick’s social assistance rates remain among the lowest in Canada, and public coverage for critical mobility equipment continues to be limited. Wright’s current manual wheelchair, which cost $2,000, was paid for through private health insurance. But replacement parts—like the wheels he’s had to replace six times—aren’t covered. Each pair costs over $400, an expense he bears out of pocket.

As part of the project, Wright met with city officials from Moncton and Dieppe to discuss the daily challenges faced by people with disabilities—and to ask what’s being done to improve accessibility at the local level.

Both cities acknowledged that more needs to be done. While some accessibility concerns—like building codes—fall under provincial or federal jurisdiction, there’s still room for municipal leadership.

In Moncton, Vince Merola, the city’s community development officer, shared ongoing efforts to improve accessibility. Dieppe’s deputy chief administrative officer, Luc Richard, agreed there’s work to do, particularly when it comes to fostering consistent dialogue with the disability community.

Notably, Dieppe still lacks a municipal accessibility committee—a long-standing source of frustration for the NB Coalition for Persons with Disabilities. However, Richard committed to attending one of the group’s regular “coffee chats,” informal gatherings where members can voice concerns and share experiences directly with decision-makers.

According to 2022 Statistics Canada data, New Brunswick has one of the highest rates of disability in the country, second only to Nova Scotia. And yet, those most affected still find themselves excluded from key conversations and decisions.

This report—and the video it accompanies—is a step toward changing that.

To hear directly from those involved, including Matthew Wright, Vince Merola, and Luc Richard, watch the full video online.

This reporting was made possible in part by the Government of Canada, administered by the Canadian Association of Community Television Users and Stations (CACTUS).