Sudbury community gardens need clear path for wheelchairs, advocates say
Advocates waiting for action from city as new community gardens are tough to get to
A disability advocacy group in Sudbury wants to make community gardens accessible for people who use walkers, wheelchairs, or other mobility devices.
Access2all is behind the construction of two new accessible garden beds at the Delki Dozzi Park community garden.
Nadine Law, co-founder of Access2all, said the beds leave plenty of room for walkers and wheelchairs to slide under, which is good.
But the path to get to the gardens is difficult to navigate.
"When I first got involved, I was concerned I wasn't going to be able to access the garden because I was using the walker at that time," she said. "Now that I'm building my strength. I'm able to do a lot more distance."
"But if I'm having a really bad day, it's a little frustrating, because it would be nice if I could bring my walker up the hill," she said.
Law said she often uses her walker as an assisted device to carry things, which would be helpful when bringing tools to the garden.
"It'd be nice to have a path everywhere," Law said. "In the meantime my adult son...he comes out and he brings a little bench for me and sets it up and it's good."
Eric Cloutier, a volunteer with Access2all, built the new gardens – simple, sturdy wooden planters – specifically for people who use wheelchairs or walkers.
"That's the thing. I built [them] and they can't even access these planters in a community garden," Cloutier said. "So, you know, it's kind of a downside, I suppose. But we figure that if we build them, then maybe change will happen quicker."
Brian Calvank, who recently began using a mobility device, said he takes his scooter through the park every day, stopping to pick vegetables or fruit.
"[The gardens] really give me the independence that I can do something, even though that I am mobility challenged," he said.
Recently, Law took him on a tour of the new garden beds to see if his scooter could make the climb up the hill, which it could.
"I can walk short distances, but to go into here to use my walker, I can't," Calvank said. "It's just too rough."
"The walker will sink and I'll probably end up falling in there because I'll get stuck or something."
Law said she's brought accessibility concerns to the city, but she isn't expecting a quick response.
"We're just trying to figure out how to get through the red tape," Law said. "And it does take time,"
"With it being summer and people on holidays I don't anticipate anything happening until fall, once the season's over, or early spring."