OPINION PIECE: Don't Take Your Mobility For Granted

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"It is a waste of time to be angry about my disability. One has got to get on with life." - Stephen Hawking

St. Jamestown- is my hometown of ten years. My family and I moved here for the sole reason that where I lived before was not very accessible. We thought Toronto in general would be better, and it was. After a short time of living in St. Jamestown, I was beginning to see that it had some serious accessibility concerns for its residents like me, who have a disability. Something so minor as the curbs on the sidewalks not being leveled, to more serious concerns - like, why every place of business doesn't have a ramp and a handicapped button on the outside.

As a person with a disability, I shouldn't have to rely on others to hold doors or to help me get up sidewalk curbs or stairs. At the same time its a horrible feeling to realize that my independence costs the city money. A lot of money.

Take the Dollar store on Wellesley and Yonge, for example. The store has a handicapped button on the door, so I can get in - GREAT! BUT once I enter, there's a full flight of stairs and no elevator.

Sometimes I wonder if the people who build the buildings in and around St. Jamestown even think about those with special needs. We DO go into buildings. There are a lot of things about St. Jamestown I love, but accessibility isn't one of them. Personally, I wish employers would try and think about their business’s accessibility a little more. Whether it be making sure aisles aren't so narrow, to putting portable ramps in their doorway. You can get free ramps at stopgap.ca.

I love the transit system in terms of accessibility. Wellesley station just got an elevator, which makes things so much easier for me. The buses have ramps and designated seating. Accessibility is for everyone.

There are things we can all do to help those with accessibility issues. Holding the door open for someone, when there is no automatic button, is a huge help, for me personally as well. This is a personal pet peeve of mine, but please, take the stairs if you're able. Leave the elevators for those who truly need it. The things an abled bodied person may see as "perks" of a disability, are things I need to function day to day. Do not take your mobility for granted!

 

Written by
Yael Gottesman

Journalist
FOCUS Media Arts Centre

 

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