Meeting Update for
October 17th, 2005 meeting
This newsletter/update is to keep members of CAN, or interested
parties, up to date on our monthly meeting, what we discussed, what our
plans are for the upcoming month, and any other pertinent information
covered during the meeting. We understand that not everyone is able to
attend a monthly meeting and hope that this will keep those interested
in CAN in the loop. Please let us know if you have any questions or
comments concerning our meetings and/or this update. Thank you for you
interest. Your ideas, suggestions, and input will help to create
positive change in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows. Together we CAN!
Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods held their second meeting this
past Monday, October 17th. Our attendance doubled from our first
meeting. We had an interesting group of people who came to our
meeting for a variety of reasons. It was quite nice to have such a
diverse group of people who want to work towards creating
barrier-free communities.
The first topic that was discussed was transportation. I had set up
a display table at the Ridge Meadows Seniors’ Activity Centre on
October 14th to introduce people to what CAN was, how we hoped to
help, and what type of help we needed from others. For the entire
five hours I was there I kept hearing about how transportation needs
to be improved.
One of the issues concerning transportation is that Translink tells
passengers in wheelchairs or scooters to only load and unload at
designated bus stops. Designated bus stops are marked with a handicap
decal on the bus stop post. This past month I wrote a report on this
accessibility of bus stops in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows. We have
several bus stops which are not deemed as accessible but which should
be; for instance the two bus stops in front of the seniors� centre are
not marked as accessible, and the bus stop at the hospital is not
accessible. These bus stops are used on a regular basis by those with
mobility aids and should be accessible.
We are currently trying to find out from Translink and Coast Mountain
Bus what the criteria is for deeming a bus stop accessible. We hope
to hear from them soon so that we can reevaluate the stops that are
not marked as accessible. If you are interested in receiveing a copy
of the report please phone Heather at (604) 466-8771 or e-mail
[email protected].
During our discussion one of our members, Dan, mentioned that he had
just begun training to become a shuttle bus driver. He said that he
would ask his instructor what the rules are concerning shuttle buses.
He reported back yesterday that “shuttles will pick-up and drop-off
people with mobility assistance devices at any stop as long as there
is not an obvious danger or safety issue, they even do request stops
of convenience where there is no official stop.” This is excellent
news, unfortunately this information has not been communicated to the
passengers who assumed that the shuttle buses ran by the same policies
as the regular buses. Please pass this information along to people
who use the shuttle buses and mobility devices.
Another subject concerning transit that was brought up concerns
walkers and shuttle buses. The new shuttle buses have three or four
steps at the front of the bus. I have had several people explain that
they are not able to climb these steps, especially when they are
supposed to fold their walker and carry it on-board. Dan asked his
instructor about this as well. He was told that the “shuttles will
also allow walkers or even strollers to use the loading lift for
assistance.” This means that if you are not able to walk up the steps
you may use the lift located at the back of the bus .
We will continue to work towards getting straight answers from
Translink about issues of transportation. We were fortunate that we
had a member who is currently taking the shuttle bus driver course as
he was able to get the answers immediately. Communication is one of
the main problems with accessibility. CAN believes that companies are
working towards solutions for accessibility but that they don�t always
communicate what they have done, or adjustments they are willing to
make, for their customers. We will continue to work towards improvign
communication between companies and clients.
During our last meeting the subject of scooters not being allowed
within the special needs seating at the ACT was discussed. We
contacted the manager of the ACT who put us in touch with Front of
House Supervisor, Landrie. We set up a meeting in which we could see
if a scooter would fit within the perimeters of the fire safety area
in the special needs seating. A member of the Municipal Advisory
Committee on Accessibility Issues (MACAI), Don, came to the meeting
with his scooter so that he could act as a visual. There is an
invisible line that marks the boundaries of the special needs seating.
If a scooter, or wheelchair, goes beyond this line it becomes a fire
hazard as it blocks the aisle for patrons needing to escape in case of
a fire. Don�s scooter just fit within the space provided. The ACT is
now looking at allowing scooters within the seating as long as the
scooters do not exceed 52″ For people who use scooters and are able
to transfer the ACT does ask that they do not take seats in the
special needs section.
Those at the ACT have worked very hard to consider various groups of
users and have tried to make as many accommodations as possible. They
have been receptive to talking with us and we hope to continue working
with them to work out how to best serve the customers. When booking a
ticket please be clear in explaining to the staff what your needs are.
They may be able to accommodate your needs without using the special
needs seating.
During our last meeting we also discussed the ACT raising the prices
of the special needs seating. The ACT has now started a two tier
price system for most shows. Some shows will have three tier pricing.
The ACT had charged people booking tickets in the specials needs
seating the higher price. This was a mistake. They remedied this as
soon as it was brought to their attention and apologized for the
misinformation. If there are two prices than those in the special
needs seating will pay the lower price. If there are three prices
those in the special needs seating will pay the middle price. If you
have any other concerns with the ACT please let us know. They have
proven to be a very community minded organization and are working
towards solutions with CAN and members of MACAI.
CAN is working in partnership with
to create accessibility reviews of restaurants listed on their web
site. For those who are not familiar with
www.getmenus.ca, they are a site that lists the
menus of restaurants so that people can decide where to eat from the
comfort of their home. CAN is working with them so that people may
also confirm whether a restaurant is accessible or not, and to which
user group they are accessible for. We have been gathering
information to create a checklist to work from while reviewing the
restaurants. The checklist will be completed this month and we will
start reviewing the restaurants in November. Once a restaurant has
been reviewed we will give the owner or manager a copy of the review
so that they are aware of how they are accessible and improvements
they can make to become even more accessible. For many people who own
businesses the lack of knowledge concerning barriers is a hurdle that
keeps them from making their businesses more accessible; money is the
other main hurdle. We are not able to help with the finances but
hopefully we can help people understand what accessibility is and how
they can work to create barrier free establishments.
If you experience any barriers while in restaurants please let us
know so that we may add it to our checklist. The list that we make
will not be rigid or definitive. Our list will change as we receive
feedback from people and as we put the checklist to use while
reviewing the restaurants. In our reviews we will not have a star
rating as some restaurants may be very accessible for someone with a
hearing impairment but not for someone with a wheelchair. We will
write a brief synopsis about the accessibility and have a symbol to
display which user group that particular restaurant is accessible for.
Please let us know about any questions, comments, or concerns you
have, we can only create a user guide that is relevant and helpful by
listening to the users themselves.
As mentioned earlier CAN had a display table at the Ridge Meadows
Seniors’ Activity Centre on October 14th. New brochures for CAN were
created for the display. We will disburse these throughout the
community. If you have any suggestions for places where these
brochures should be displayed please let us know.
The cost of creating brochures is high and CAN needs to start raising
funds. CAN hopes to have a booth at the Maple Ridge Home Show in May
2006. We feel this is a great way to advertise our presence, to let
people know who we are and what we are doing, and to get feedback from
community members. It seems as though for each piece of information
that people are learning from CAN they are offering two pieces of
information which have helped them in their daily life.
In our first year we would like to let as many people know about us
as possible. We feel that the home show, the second busiest in BC,
would be a great avenue for making more people aware of CAN.
If you know of any company, organization, or service group, that
would be interested in supporting us please let us know. The Rotary
was suggested at our meeting and we will contact them to find out if
what we are doing fits in with what they fund
Starting in January there will be a $20 membership fee. For those
who are unable to afford $20, a $10 fee will be in place. For those
who are able to afford more than the $20 we ask that they give more so
that we may subsidize the members who are not able to afford the
higher price. If you are truly not able to afford $10 we will work
something out. This membership fee will be for the year of 2006. The
membership fee will be used to create awareness about CAN and to work
towards achieving our goals.
The other fundraising effort that will happening on behalf of CAN is
the sale of photo cards at Christmas Craft Fairs. CAN will have a
table at the November 5th craft sale at the RIdge Meadows Seniors’
Activity Centre. We will also have a table at the Terry Fox Secondary
School craft fair on November 19th. We will be selling photo cards
and raffling off three 8×10 photographs. Please come out and support
our efforts.
If you are aware of any other craft fairs please let us know. The
Shoppers Drug Mart on 224th has offered us a discount on our
photofinishing needs so that more money can go directly to CAN. We
thank them for their support.
If you have any fundraising ideas or are willing to help us fundraise
please contact Heather at (604) 466-8771 or e-mail
[email protected].
During our meeting we discussed the News article about accessibility.
A reporter from the News contacted Heather about accessibility and the
role of the Municipal Advisory Committee on Accessibility Issues. The
article was well written and received a positive response from many
community members. The article has created a dialogue about
accessibility and barriers that exist within our community. We are
happy to see that the local newspapers are aware of accessibility
issues and that they are working to make more people knowledgable.
The Times has also asked to be kept up to date on accessibility issues.
The Ridge Meadows Power Soccer team (soccer played by people with
power wheelchairs) had found funding for their equipment and gym
rental. The Ridge team is joining the Greater Vancouver Electric
Wheelchair Sports Society (GVEWSS). By joining this league we will be
part of a four team society. We will be playing a game once a month
and traveling to Penticton for a tournament in the new year. The
GVEWSS is working towards creating a tournament in the Lower Mainland.
We are excited to be part of this society and look forward to games,
tournaments, and improving our skills by playing with more experienced
players.
We are still looking for volunteers to help coach and referee our
practices. If you are interested in volunteering or coming out to
watch a practice please contact Heather at (604) 466-8771 or e-mail
[email protected]. There are photographs of the
team and their first practice on the
page
practicing. If you know of any person in a power chair who would like
to try power soccer please contact us.
The team practices Wednesday evenings from 6 – 7:30 PM at Alexander
Robinson Elementary School (once the strike is over).
One of the topics that was raised during the first meeting and
discussed again last night was the lack of communication concerning
parking for those with handicap decals at the Ridge Meadows Hospital.
If you have a handicap decal you may park in any parking spot at the
hospital for free. This information is posted on posters in a few
locations in the hospital but is not communicated at the pay parking
machine. We will work during this upcoming month to remedy this.
While this offer is great and will save people money it is frustrating
to pay for parking and then go into the building to see the notices
that the payment was not necessary. We will work towards having a
clear sign on the parking machine so that those with the handicap
decal do not pay.
One of CAN�s members is running for council. Dan Olson has been a
member of CAN from the start and has been a supporter of accessibility
for years. I met Dan while we worked together on the Smart Growth on
the Ground initiative. Dan was one of the few people who understood
the need for accessibility to be included in the Smart Growth report.
His support and help was appreciated during that time, and his support
and work for, and with, CAN is very much appreciated now. Dan is not
a member of CAN because he is running for council, he is a member of
CAN because he believes in creating barrier-free communities and
because he has a family member who uses a mobility device.
CAN is fully behind Dan for council. If you would like to learn more
about who Dan is and what he stands for go to his site danolson.Blogspot.com
CAN�s October meeting was very productive. We were glad to have new
members out and enjoyed listening to their perspectives on
accessibility. We look forward to progressing forward with our goals.
If you have any feedback please let us know by phoning (604) 466-8771 or e-mail
[email protected].
I thank those who attended our meeting, and those who were unable to
attend but offered their support and ideas by phone or e-mail. CAN is
considering starting a daytime meeting in the new year for members who
are unable to attend meetings at night. If you are interested please
let us know.
A newsletter, such as this, will follow each meeting to keep you up
to date. If you are interested in receiving a copy of this newsletter
by e-mail or through regular post please contact us.
I hope to see you next month on November 21st at the Fraser Room in the
Maple Ridge Library from 6:30 – 8:30 PM, or hear from you by e-mail
([email protected])l or telephone (604-466-8771) prior to our meeting.
Remember together we CAN!