Members of Grande Prairie City Council, Council candidates and other dignitaries were on hand at Muskoseepi Park Friday morning to participate in the Chair Leaders Enabling Access Event. Photo Credit: Shane Clausing / EverythingGP staff

By Shane Clausing

chair leaders day

Community leaders gain awareness of accessibility issues with Chair Leaders Day

Jun 11, 2021 | 12:44 PM

Members of Grande Prairie City Council, Council candidates and other dignitaries were on hand at Muskoseepi Park Friday to participate in the Chair Leaders Enabling Access Event.

The event has ten community leaders spending the day using a wheelchair, trying out and learning how to navigate a day around the city while bringing awareness to issues relating to accessibility in the city.

Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton, Grande Prairie MLA Tracy Allard and several other City Council members & candidates are taking part in the event.

Norma Grimm, who has used a wheelchair for several years, told EverythingGP the day will be an eye-opening experience for those taking part.

“I think that they are going to find out exactly what we have to put up with,” said Grimm.

“The barriers, there are a lot of them in the city. Going to the washroom and you can’t reach the hand sanitizer because it’s too high, going into the stores and being unable to reach the debit machine because everything is too high up, all of these things get very frustrating.

“I also think they’ll find they’ll be very tired at the end of the day.”

As she began her journey this morning, Mayor Clayton said she’s excited to see what the day will bring.

“It’s really interesting to see how your mind changes (in the wheelchair) and you are thinking about your next steps continually. Where you are going next and how you are going to maneuver around the objects in front of you.”

Clayton added she’ll be going to a few different places this afternoon to experience firsthand the challenges those with wheelchairs face.

“I’m going to try and go to the Prairie Mall for lunch and see how that works and then I’m going to go to another facility later this afternoon,” she said. “Hopefully, that works out well, but overall, it’s going to be a great learning opportunity and it just gives us a different perspective to see the barriers accessibility people have in our community and in their day-to-day lives.”

Mieke de Groot, the Regional Program Coordinator with Spinal Cord Injury Alberta, hopes this day raises awareness about the challenges people in wheelchairs face.

“A community leader sits in a wheelchair for the day and positive change happens in that community. It happens not only for people using scooters, wheelchairs and walkers, but also people using bicycles. It impacts all people in the community when this day happens.”

“They’re going to understand why there is legislation in place. The Accessible Canada Act was passed in 2020 and will be enforced in 2040. In these next 20 years, we need our community leaders to back funding to make changes so that commercial property owners, home builders, stores, bathrooms are all going to be big enough for our larger wheelchairs and the people who deserve to be a part of the community.”

The Accessible Canada Act will stand for all public places.

Mayor Clayton also proclaimed Friday as Chair Leaders Day in Grande Prairie.