Power for people with disabilities should be a priority during outages, advocates say
Outages have sent people with disabilities to hospital, says N.B Coalition for Persons with Disabilities
Murielle Pitre, who has spina bifida and relies on a wheelchair, wants N.B. Power to prioritize helping customers like her during power outages.
While many contend with inconvenience during a power outage, such as not being able to use their computer or watch television for entertainment, Pitre loses access to items that are not optional.
"If the chair doesn't work, it's everything right? You can't get to the kitchen to make food, you can't go to the washroom, you can't go have a shower," she said in an interview.
"It's the same impact as, 'Oh the power's out, so we'll just take your legs and we'll put them in the corner over there until the power comes back on' ... it seems kind of silly to say, but that's basically what it is if I don't have my chair."
Pitre, who is a founder of the N.B. Coalition for Persons with Disabilities and lives in the Moncton area, uses several items in addition to her wheelchair, including a bed with a lift and a breathing aid similar to a continuous positive airway pressure machine, or CPAP.
She isn't alone in her experience with power outages.
Shelley Petit, also with the Coalition for Persons with Disabilities, told N.B. Power at an Energy and Utilities Board hearing that outages, in the worst cases, have sent people with disabilities to the hospital for medical attention.
"We had people ... get stuck in bed. We had one who got stuck in the bath, because her bath lift would no longer lift her out of the tub," Petit said.
"These become very significant for us."
N.B. Power spokesperson Dominique Couture said a customer's file can receive a priority flag if "life-saving equipment" is in the home, meaning a device that will directly keep the person alive, and the need for it is verified by a doctor.
"As priority customers, their status is considered when working to restore power," she said in an email.
"To provide additional support, communications to priority-coded customers are enhanced when there is a planned outage or extended outages, to ensure they are aware and can make arrangements if needed."
In cases where a customer using assistive devices may be disconnected for non-payment, Couture said the utility considers "all relevant information, documentation, and their unique needs."
While the current system is a start, Pitre wants the utility to recognize that assistive devices are essential.
"For me it seems logical, because I'm so used to living this way ... I want them to know that the things that we use, they are not options," she said.
"It's not like ... 'I have to go a whole day without using my computer. So boring.' It's a lot more than that for us. It's critical."
Pitre says mental health effects, like feeling trapped or unable to communicate with the outside world, can be as distressing as physical health effects.
"Sometimes you're afraid that people will forget you're here," she said. "My elevator doesn't work, my phone doesn't work, then what is really my contact with the outside world? Not much ... It can be scary."
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