Speaker July 25
.jpg)
This Tuesday we heard from Dr. Robin Inskip, pictured, an advocate on accessibility and mobility issues for disadvantaged groups and people in our community. During this coming year the Federal government is expected to bring in general legislation covering public accessibility for the disabled, however, in Canada, each province is responsible for setting their own much more detailed legislation and standards. Ontario and Manitoba have both had legislation in place for several years and British Columbia and Nova Scotia have more recently passed legislation in this regard. Alberta presently has no such legislation in this regard.
There are many different types of people with mobility issues. Many of those with accessibility issues are not visibly disabled. They may speak a different language, not see or hear well, have a learning or mental disorder or deal with a chronic illness such as arthritis. Even mothers with baby strollers or small children could also fall into this category. Many of these groups do not have a political voice and will not lobby government on these issues.
There have been many piecemeal approaches to accessibility in Edmonton, Some areas of the city have sidewalk ramps and others do not. Very few intersections have audible crossing signals. A lot of sidewalks in older areas do not have sidewalk ridges to let a seeing impaired person know the street curb is coming up. Some intersections are timed so poorly a disabled person can not get across safely in time. Some sidewalks are not wide enough for two people with walkers or wheelchairs to pass each other. Sidewalks can also be partially blocked by benches, trees, or other obstructions. Accessibility to stores, public buildings, transit and other services, even informational computer websites, are often also an issue. Government websites that can not be enlarged enough for those with low vision to be able to read them, are a case in point.
Winter in Edmonton brings even more issues. Snow clearing in winter is not done to a consistent standard, sidewalk ramps are often ploughed under by street grading, or sidewalks may not be cleared at all when they are the responsibility of private homeowners.
Other Canadian cities such as Winnipeg and Ottawa can serve as benchmarks for Edmonton, as they have standards and guidelines that have been in place for many years. They could also be used to get a rough cost estimate of how much it would take to implement a more comprehensive plan.
Other places that have implemented these types of standards have found that they are appreciated by everyone, not just those with mobility issues. It can be compared, in some ways, to parts our Rotarian four way test, is it fair to all concerned, will it build good will, will it be beneficial to all concerned. Addressing these issues benefits everyone in the community.
.jpg)
Dr. Robin Inskip