HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2018-02-01, Page 8PAGE 8. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2018.
Access for all means everyone is safe
By Julie Sawchuk
Less than accessible
Blyth's downtown core needs some work to become fully
accessible according to resident Julie Sawchuk. Snow
removal, a poorly -placed sidewalk ramp and/or accessible
parking spot and some local businesses having less -than -
ideal accessibility solutions make it difficult for people of all
abilities to get around. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
Thirty years ago Rick Hansen
completed his Man In Motion World
Tour. For two years, two months and
two days he rolled his wheelchair
around the world. The goal he had
then is the same goal he has now
with the Rick Hansen Foundation: to
raise awareness for people with
disabilities. Now his mantra is
#AccessForAll. Creating accessible
spaces means that everyone can get
in, get around and participate — the
best simplification of this is stairs vs.
a ramp — many people can walk up
stairs but everyone can travel up a
ramp.
This week I'd like to add to this
idea with some examples from
around town. The addition? Safety.
Creating accessible spaces also
makes them safer for everyone. Have
you ever tried crossing Queen Street
in Blyth? It's tricky isn't it? Now
imagine doing so with low vision.
In an earlier conversation with 11 -
year -old Mikayla Ansley (who has
been legally blind since age three)
she was quick to point out that,
although old enough, she is not able
to cross Queen Street on her own.
There is no safe way for her to do
so — no crosswalk, no flashing light,
not even a sign to alert drivers to
watch for pedestrians. And she is not
the only one in town with this
concern. Imagine wanting to get to
church on a Sunday morning and
waiting on the corner for someone to
happen along and help you cross?
True story.
Creating a crosswalk with a sign
and lights, one that has an audible
signal for crossing, would allow
Mikayla and others the safe passage
they need for independence. How
would you like it if you could not
cross the main street of your own
home town?
You see, that is the big picture for
me and everyone else who happens
to have a disability: independence.
Even with last week's short
reprieve from winter I have not
forgotten about the difficulty that
snow has caused for me this winter.
The first two winters after my
collision we didn't really have much
snow, so this winter has really been a
lesson in navigating the shortest,
most clear route possible. In doing
so I am completely reliant on others
to clear the snow in my path.
I also have learned that I am not
really as strong as I think I am.
Moving a manual wheelchair (or
walker or scooter) through snow is
absolutely exhausting, and in several
instances it has led me to change my
plans. Over the holidays I opted to
miss a Christmas get-together
because rolling there seemed far too
daunting of a task — and all I had to
do was cross Queen Street!
Need another example? Earlier
this winter I parked in Blyth's (only)
accessible parking spot on Queen
Street in front of Memorial Hall. I
had planned to go to the bakery for
several back-to-back meetings. I
opened my door and looked at the
snow in the parking spot, it was
about four inches deep. I knew I
would either get stuck in it or I
would take so much time to get
through it I would end up blocking
traffic, or worse. So I got out my
lifeline (my cell phone) and called
for reinforcements. Thankfully Les
Cook was able to throw on his coat
and give me a hand!
I know that when the snow falls
faster than it can be shovelled, it can
be hard for the township to keep up,
but when it falls on Monday and is
not cleared away from the parking
lane until Wednesday it could make
for a dangerous situation, and not
just for me.
There are a lot of other examples
of unsafe "accessible" features in
town, many things that get
grandfathered as okay and therefore
don't have to meet code and yet
others somehow squeak past
inspectors. The steep and narrow
ramp at the post office is almost
impossible to navigate and the new
sidewalk cutout in front of the
theatre is too high and is right in the
middle of a parking spot. The
county's decision to not put traffic
lights at the intersection of Blyth and
London Roads are yet another
example of being short-sighted
about people's safety. I could go
on...
I've tried very hard each month to
celebrate and share good news about
accessibility — but sometimes we all
CIBC branch closure
`doesn't make sense'
says citizen group
Continued from page 1
village, the Canadian Centre for
Rural Creativity and the proposed
residential development at the north
end of the village, which currently
has a focus on amenities for
senior citizens, a branch in Blyth
makes sense according to Patty and
Irene.
"There are seniors in the village
already and the development would
bring more," Patty said. "Many
senior citizens prefer to talk to
someone face to face, and may not
be adept at banking online or
through the phone.
"It really makes me wonder if the
corporation is aware of the growth in
the village," she said.
Another fact that had Irene and
Patty scratching their heads was the
date of the closure. Sept. 20 is one
day before the Festival of Wizardry
which, last year, brought more than
6,000 visitors to Blyth.
Despite the concerns, the
Concerned Citizens don't want
CIBC to feel ostracized, saying they
want "CIBC whole, healthy and
here."
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need to be reminded that we take our
physical well-being, our
independence for granted. As
someone with paraplegia, I have
been working to improve my
abilities and strength and therefore
my independence — but others do not
have that option.
If we want Blyth to truly be a
tourist destination (as well as a great
place to live) then people on bikes,
patrons of the arts and beer
connoisseurs will want to visit a
town that is safe! We need to
encourage our politicians and policy
makers to make decisions that create
accessible and therefore safe spaces
and paths of travel for everyone.
#AccessForAll.
An unsafe proposition
Despite learning to live with legal blindness since the age
of three, 11 -year-old Mikayla Ansley can't safely get around
her own community due to accessibility concerns not being
met. Ansley recently told accessibility columnist Julie
Sawchuk that she can't cross Queen Street on her own
safely due to a lack of traffic control. (Photo submitted)
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