St. John’s releases 2025 accessibility report, highlights progress on inclusion goals

The City of St. John’s has released its 2025 Accessibility Plan annual report, outlining progress made toward improving accessibility and inclusion across municipal programs, services and public spaces.

Coun. Lynn Hammond, council lead for inclusion, said the report reflects “meaningful progress” in removing barriers, while acknowledging more work remains.

“As we enter the final year of the City’s first multi-year Accessibility Plan, we’re proud of the progress made so far, but we know there is still work to do,” Hammond said in a statement.

Since the plan’s launch in 2024, the city says 33 action items have been completed — 13 in 2024 and 20 in 2025 — with work ongoing on 35 additional initiatives.

Among the highlights, the city expanded accessible public transit by adding more wheelchair-accessible Metrobus routes and increasing the GoBus fleet.

Improvements were also made to mobility and active transportation, including expanding the sidewalk snow-clearing network to 193 kilometres, upgrading 13 crosswalks, and extending shared-use paths to 23 kilometres. The city also introduced new procedures and an awareness campaign aimed at reducing sidewalk obstructions caused by waste bins.

In public facilities and spaces, the city opened the H.G.R. Mews Community Centre, added or repaired 15 automated door openers, and introduced new accessible amenities, including an adult-sized change table at Bannerman Park Pool House and an accessible washroom at Chafe’s Lane Park. Communication boards were also installed in 25 playgrounds.

The report also highlights efforts to improve housing accessibility, including converting a city-owned unit into a wheelchair-accessible home and introducing universal design resources for planners, builders and homeowners.

On the communications front, the city launched updated brand standards to support accessibility, introduced the Engage St. John’s website with enhanced features, and redesigned Metrobus schedules with larger fonts and clearer maps.

Other initiatives include piloting a new recreation program support service, developing a corporate-wide accessibility orientation, and participating in a national project aimed at incorporating accessibility considerations into procurement processes.

The city says 2026 marks the final year of its first accessibility plan, with work set to begin on a new multi-year strategy to guide efforts starting in 2027.