Uxbridge business owners are being asked to take a challenge soon that's sure to open some eyes and some doors.
The Township's Accessibility Advisory Committee has come up with a great idea this year in its quest to transform Uxbridge into a barrier-free community. On Sept. 17, business owners can participate in a program that will see them shopping at each other's stores while in a wheelchair, on crutches or as a blind person. The idea is to allow participants to get a first-hand look at the changes that need to be implemented to accommodate handicapped people in the community.
Having able-bodied people navigate the downtown as a "disabled" person is not a new concept for the committee. In past years, participants could volunteer to experience a shopping trip in a blindfold or in a wheelchair, with a guide along to help prevent accidents. The Times-Journal sent a reporter along as a "blind" person, and the quick-acting guide was able to pull him out of the path of an oncoming car. Life with a handicap is not easy, and an experience like that only provides a glimpse into the challenges other Ontarians face on a daily basis, year in and year out.
Kudos to the committee for coming up with something new this year, and its "Accessibility Award Program" for businesses is a great idea. Who better to experience the challenges of shopping downtown than the merchants themselves, the very people who depend on customers being able to access their shops? Having them visit each other while shopping within the limitations disabled people deal with every day should provide some interesting feedback, and identify barriers that need to be removed.
Some disabilities, as the committee points out, are not visible. Others, such as being on crutches, may not be permanent. And still other challenges, like negotiating a set of stairs with a baby stroller, might not have been considered a "disability" at all, but it still prevents many would-be customers from entering a shop.
According to the committee, the province of Ontario is expected to be fully accessible by the year 2025. Those working with the committee are doing their part to ensure the Township of Uxbridge is on track to become a barrier-free place to live and do business.
Uxbridge business owners are encouraged to take part in this program, which includes recognition for those who demonstrate the positive changes they've made.
And small changes can make a huge difference in allowing everyone to fully participate in life.
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