Accessibility is a major concern for many Ontarians whose mobility depends on a wheelchair, a scooter, or even crutches and walking sticks. People with mobility issues who are considering moving to the Addington Highlands need to know the extent to which their new municipality is equipped to meet their needs. For some this means consulting an expert from Home Health Care London. For others it means heading to the internet to find out what other people with the same issues say about their trips to the region. If you're concerned about how you'll be able to get around in Addington Highlands, this article on the region's accessibility plan should give you an overview of the situation.

The Goals

In 2003 the Township of Addington Highlands and its surrounding municipalities had their first joint Accessibility Panel meeting. During this meeting they pledged to comply with the 2001 Ontarians With Disabilities Act, which mandates improvements for people with disabilities, from those living at a home for seniors in Mississauga to wheelchair bound Windsor residents. To this end, their plan is to identify and prioritize barriers to accessibility in their town, then describe how they will be removed by the town council.

Barriers

The barriers they looked at included safety hazards to people in assisted mobility devices like steps or traffic lights that don't allow people enough time to cross, which might make the township vulnerable to class action lawsuits in Canada if not remedied. Other barriers to be removed over time include multi story buildings without elevators, publications not offered in large print, and changing attitudes among employers and staff with regards to the capabilities of people with disabilities.

Who it will Help

The people who will benefit from the changes made by the council are those outlined in the Ontario Human Rights Code as having a disability. This includes physical disabilities like amputations, blindness, deafness, epilepsy, diabetes, and paralysis as well as mental conditions like dyslexia, and schizophrenia. This would include people who have been injured as well as people in anger management programs.

Progress Made

Since the program's inception in 2003 each year has been marked by an Accessibility report outlining the problems to be dealt with in that year. Some of the things that have been done since then include: installing wheelchair ramps at the Flinton and Denbigh libraries, purchasing large print books, marking handicapped spaces in front of municipal buildings, renovating washrooms to be wheelchair accessible, improving signage, establishing an accessibility feedback option on the website, and sending staff to be trained to help serve those with disabilities and people undergoing treatment at Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto. Progress is slow due to budget restrictions but steady.