'Everybody needs to help': Londoners with disabilities call for better accessibility in snow
Unplowed, icy sidewalks can make it dangerous for people with mobility challenges to get around, advocates say
Londoners with physical disabilities are calling on the city and community to make sure streets and sidewalks are easier to navigate in the snow.
Icy sidewalks and snow piles along street curbs are just some of the challenges people with mobility disabilities said they face in the wintertime.
"Walking is always going to be difficult, even if you're using a walker or wheelchair," said Madeline Goldhawk, who has a rare disorder that causes a lack of balance and coordination. "When it's very deep outside, it's very hard to put my walker into the snow."
London was blasted with snow squalls this week, causing school closures and long commutes, but the cold weather is more than a nuisance for people with disabilities, said Madeline's mother, Jody Goldhawk.
"We're always thinking about how [Madeline's] going to get to certain places and the snow just puts an extra wrench into it," Jody said. "I'm also worrying about her safety, like is she going to fall in the snow or ice, is she going to be OK, is she going to get stuck in a snow bank somewhere?"
LISTEN: Walking through snow with a physical disability
The unknowns around snow accessibility lead some people with disabilities to stay home, said Jeff Preston, an associate professor of disability studies at King's University College.
"I'm a bit like a bear: I go into hibernation in the winter," said Preston on CBC's London Morning. "I just hang out inside for a few months."
Paratransit, sidewalk conditions among challenges
Londoners with disabilities said they have to plan ahead when going out in the winter weather.
"I carry a shovel with me," said Penny Moore, who uses an electric wheelchair.
She said sidewalks are the most difficult thing to navigate, since they are often unplowed, plowed too narrowly for the width of a wheelchair or icy.
"In a wheelchair, it's similar to a car," Moore said. "Sometimes depending on how wet the snow is, if it sticks to my wheels, my wheels will be spinning in the same spot or sometimes the chair will spin in a circle."
There is also the challenge of snow piles, Moore said, which are often pushed to sidewalk intersections and hard to get over.
"Depending on how much the snow is cleared to the curb, we may end up in the middle of the road," she said, adding that driving on the street is sometimes the only option.
While many Londoners with physical disabilities use paratransit, they said the service is not always reliable in an urgent situation.
People can book a ride with paratransit up to three days in advance but spots fill up quickly, the Goldhawks and Moore said, making it difficult to arrange unexpected travel.
There are on-demand buses, but Jody said the chances of securing a booking are slim.
"You sort of have to wait to see if they can find a bus, so now you've got a 30-minute window that you're sitting around waiting to see if there is a bus really coming or not," she said.
Loss of independence
Moore said she tries to get through the snow alone, but once had to call 911 for help when it was too cold.
"I felt bad for calling them but they said because of the situation, it was an emergency because it was -25 and I would have gotten frostbite."
Even though Madeline is athletic, Jody said that when snow hits, it makes it difficult for her daughter to maintain her independence.
"We've been trying to foster independence, which in itself gives me more independence," she said. "[In the snow], I'm involved in how she's going to get someplace, I'm involved in doing more driving than I normally would do."
"It's just a lot of planning," she added.
Both the Goldhawks and Moore said it is important for people with disabilities to be involved in their communities, which is difficult when they can't get out.
"During the winter time, we're stuck in our homes without any socialization like everybody else gets to do," Moore said.
Improved accessibility a group effort
Improving London's accessibility will take work from all parts of the city, disability advocates said.
"It's wider clearing of snow by the city, but also by business owners, landlords and property owners," said Valerie Hembruff, a disability advocate who uses a walker herself.
The Goldhawks said they would like to see more Londoners think beyond their own driveways.
"I truly believe that everybody needs to help plow out their sidewalk and make sure the roads are okay to walk on," Madeline said.
Hembruff wants to remind Londoners that improved accessibility can also help pedestrians and transit users.
"We find that the things that make it more accessible for disabled people also typically benefit everyone," said Hembruff.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
