Regional social action planning advisory committee (SAPAC) members will take a look at accessibility issues throughout the region.
At the C3 (community to community to community) meeting on May 12, hosted by Tla’amin Nation and attended by City of Powell River and qathet Regional District (qRD), elected officials discussed the matter of accessibility, brought forward by the qRD.
At a recent qRD committee of the whole meeting, qRD received a presentation from Dave and Marg Hodgins, whose son with mobility issues has encountered difficulties in accessing facilities in places such as the regional district’s parks.
After discussion on the issue, city councillor Maggie Hathaway, who chairs the social planning committee, said she would be happy to put the matter on the SAPAC agenda.
At the C3 meeting, qRD chair Patrick Brabazon said the regional district had been approached by people experiencing difficulty with accessibility and it was determined it would be a good item for the C3 because it may be an issue in Tla’amin and it is an issue in the city.
Powell River mayor Dave Formosa said the city had received a presentation from the Hodgins, talking to councillors about the model community city, about accessibility, and how the city has possibly lost its roots on that particular agenda.
“Nobody could argue with them,” said Formosa. “It was kind of suggested that maybe the transportation committee could look at this or have the re-establishment of the model community group. Then, we can look at the whole qathet region with the lens of accessibility, starting with the low-hanging fruit.
“We suggested [the Hodgins] talk to all of the local governments and that maybe some research can be done on where the model community was at and re-establishing that group.”
qRD Electoral Area C director Clay Brander said the Hodgins presentation reminded him of an article he read a few months ago about the concept of universal design.
“Basically, what they are saying is products are designed out of the gate to be used by everyone,” said Brander. “Modifications shouldn’t be necessary. Accessible products should be the norm.”
Presentation prompts examination
He said because of the Hodgins presentation, qRD is looking at outdoor spaces specifically. He said he found an online publication called Design Guidelines for Outdoor Spaces, commissioned by the communities of Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge. A lot of the information is extremely relevant, added Brander.
Brander provided C3 meeting attendees with a link to the publication so all in attendance could read it and see how these ideas could be incorporated into future projects.
Electoral Area D director Sandy McCormick said one of the problems is the gulf between what governments consider accessible and what the accessibility community considers to be accessible. She said although the regional district states that facilities such as the washroom at Palm Beach Regional Park is accessible, the Hodgins tried to get their son there in a wheelchair and were unsuccessful.
“We really need to hone in on what accessibility means and ensure facilities we say are accessible are in fact accessible,” said McCormick.
City councillor Cindy Elliott said she is supportive of Formosa’s idea of having a committee to provide advice to all governments, targeting areas that can be improved.
Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne said he looks after a person with disabilities and there are a plethora of challenges. He said wheelchair mobility is a significant challenge and he is in favour of the creation of a committee because there are a lot of challenges for people with mobility issues.
City councillor George Doubt said he’d like to suggest the three heads of local governments get together and discuss creation of an accessibility committee.
“It’s something we need in our greater community,” said Doubt.
Electoral Area E director Andrew Fall said SAPAC exists to advise the three levels of government. He said one way of getting action sooner would be to request that SAPAC look into the issue and provide feedback.
Hathaway said she heard all of the comments and is happy to take the matter on and put it on an agenda for a coming SAPAC meeting.
