Updating Measuring Up Vernon

With the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of People with disabilities, accessibility needs to be brought to the attention of policy makers and governments!  IL Vernon is in the process of updating our report Measuring Up from 2008.  Below is a draft in progress of the Measuring UP Report!

Measuring UP Vernon 2012 Draft

Photos to be added include the following:

 New sidewalk in 2012, curb cut still not in the direction in the pedestrian traffic

 Stop sign in the middle of the sidewalk

 Narrow sidewalk due to phone poll

 NO CURB CUT!!

 A person in a large electric wheelchair got stuck at this corner.  Needed two people to help him get his wheels unstuck.

 Asphalt not flush with curb cut and damaged

 Another damaged curbcut

 Broken pavement on the sidewalk

 Steep incline on the sidewalk from an access for an alley

 Edge on the side of the sidewalk tripping hazard

 Damaged curb cut

 patch on a curb cut

 Lamp post in the new bus terminus makes the sidewalk very narrow

 This is an example of a perfect curb cut! Two curb cuts in the direction of the pedestrian traffic!

 In front of city hall, Accessible parking space, with the curb cut in the wrong place for the passenger and/or driver.

We think this is suppose to be a ramp in front of the RCMP station in Vernon.  But too narrow to any large wheelchair or scooter.

Another example of asphalt not flush with the curb cut.  Due to it being winter in the picture, we had to dig out the dirt.

IL Vernon will be recommending City Council adopt a new Accessibility Committee to deal with these issues with a long term vision.

UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities

As a person who identifies as having an invisible disability, disability issues are more than a passion for me. April 2011 will mark the first year since Canada ratified the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. The purpose of the Convention is “to promote, protect, and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity.”

International Conventions can seem irrelevant, ambiguous, and appear to have no real connection to the reality of daily life for people. So I went looking for an answer to the question: What does success look this for this Convention in the daily lives of people of disabilities?

It looks like people with physical disabilities accessing buildings for employment or shopping through the FRONT door, or joining their families on the beach for fun in the sun. People with disabilities, who have an assistance dog, won't be denied access because of lack of awareness of the many duties of registered service dogs. For example, assistance dogs include, but are not limited to assisting with seizures, psychiatric disorders, diabetes, autism, hearing, and seeing. A taxi driver will not deny a ride to a woman who uses a wheelchair, because she has too many groceries. A woman with cerebral palsy will not be pushed down, because she got in the way of a police officier.

To start making a difference right now in the lives of people with various disabilities, substitute the word 'ridiculous', instead of using 'retarded' and don't park in accessible parking spots, even if 'it is just for a minute'!

For information on resources for people with disabilities, please contact IL Vernon by visiting http://ilvernon.ca

References

A Guide by the Commonwealth Secretariat Human Rights Unit (April 2010). retrieved December 10, 2010 from http://www.thecommonwealth.org/files/229435/FileName/CRPDPublication.pdf

Taxi refuses service to disabled woman

Many community members might be shocked about this story, but for many people with disabilities this is an all too familiar reality. Relying on public transportation can be a nightmare due to lack of training of drivers and negative attitudes about people with disabilities.

Taxi refuses service to disabled woman

IL Vernon is always looking for input about disability issues. If people have experiences they wish share about using accessible transportation in Vernon and Area, please let contact IL Vernon!

Thank you
Laura Hockman