The height of hotel beds, the placement of automatic door buttons, the little step-up in doorways were among the issued raised by the 26 people registered to speak Tuesday at public hearings in Thunder Bay into the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.

Amy Rusak, who has a rare form of dwarfism and is less than a metre tall, said she appreciates what the act is trying to do, but said she still encounters many barriers as she moves through Thunder Bay in her motorized wheelchair. Even adaptations that were supposed to make it easier for her, often create further challenges.

"If there's an automatic door button, half the time I can't reach it, because my arms are too short, or I get somewhere and they say they're accessible but there's a four-inch lip to get in, and that's definitely not accessible," she said.

Those types of obstacles often leave Rusak with no choice but to ask a stranger for help.

'A pain in the butt'

"It's kind of a pain in the butt and I'd rather they just had automatic doors with electric eyes that would just open automatically, and then it's better for everyone."

Rusak would also like quicker investigations, and more immediate solutions, when people report violations of the accessibility act.

Maurice Rubenick (left) of Thunder Bay attended the Thunder Bay hearings into the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act with two props. The cardboard cutout on his right represents the new height of hotel beds, while in his left hand he holds a photo of the Nipigon viewing tower, which he can't access. Tom Brownlee, (right) was at the meeting to discuss problems his wife is having with transit in the city. (Cathy Alex/CBC )

Prior to the hearings in Thunder Bay, former Lieutenant Governor David Onley, who is leading the review, said many people, including a man who phoned from Sioux Lookout, are complaining about the increased height of hotel beds.

"They've all gone to this high format, so that a person in a wheelchair, if they have problems standing, are going to have major problems getting into the bed and find it difficult to get safely out of the bed to even transition back to their wheelchair or to their scooter."

'Face first, nose-dive into the floor'

Maurice Rubenick arrived at the Thunder Bay consultation with a cardboard prop to illustrate the height of those beds, and the problems he is having moving from his wheelchair.

"My balance is no good and that means a face first, nose-dive into the floor," he said, noting he had written the government ministry responsible for accessibility and was told "the issue is that, depending on the disability, a bed height that works for one person may not work for someone else."

Robert Wheeler (centre) can not speak so wrote his submission on a tablet and asked Steve Mantis (left), who lost his arm 40 years ago in an industrial accident, to read his comments. He is sitting beside Maurice Rubenick (right) who wanted people implementing the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act to spend time in a rehab facility to learn more about the issue. (Cathy Alex/CBC)

He said a response like that suggests the bureaucracy has no idea of the standards contained in the act, and he felt more education and training would be beneficial.

"It really bothered me because the person should spend some time in a rehab hospital ... watching people learn daily living and they would get a better understanding of heights and whatnot."

Rubenick also shared his dismay at not being able to access a newly constructed viewing tower in Nipigon, which offers a lookout over a new bridge and the Nipigon River gorge.

Sign language interpreter Jocelyn Cunningham translates former Lieutenant Governor David Onley's opening comments at the Thunder Bay hearing into the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disability Act. (Cathy Alex/CBC )

"It means I'm going to go to my grave without even going and viewing up there where most people can go," he said, holding a photo of himself pointing at the bridge and asking "why not me?".

"I want to enjoy the rest of my life out of my wheelchair and I think with all the inclusion that's supposed to be going on, you guys should be kicking a little ass," he directed at Onley, who listened, nodded, and shared not only anecdotes about his own difficulties with accessibility, but also his knowledge of the act and its regulations.

People with disabilities 'yet to achieve full civil rights'

People with disabilities are one of the "last minority groups in our society yet to achieve full civil rights," said Onley, who is gathering online submissions and comments from hearings around the province, to prepare a progress report on the act for the Ontario government.

"I think this is very important that I'm here today because people with a disability need a voice and most of the people in this room are very vocal like myself and we'll get it done," concluded Rusak.