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Jesse Jubb. (Image Credit: supplied by Erin Jubb.)
By Curtis Galbraith
Community

Grande Prairie family wants to start a conversation on accessibility

Jun 14, 2026 | 6:01 AM

A mother and son from Grande Prairie want to see improvements to accessibility for disabled people.

Erin Jubb’s 18-year-old son Jesse uses a wheelchair. She says since he was four years old, he has dealt with “brain cancer, brain surgeries, chemotherapy, multiple chronic and lifelong illnesses, mobility challenges, and extensive hospitalizations.” 

Erin says she would like to at least see a conversation start on accessibility improvements. 

“Well, it would definitely reduce the barriers when going to public events, (even if) if they’re going on school trips.” 

“It relieves stress. It helps with the feeling of just being inclusive, right?” 

Jesse says one thing that is needed is wider doors. 

“Standard size is very small, even for a traditional wheelchair, and then add on top of that a larger wheelchair, and you can’t get through, and it’s kind of a problem, you know?” 

Jesse says another thing that needs improvement is that doors that open with a push button do not stay open long enough for someone in a wheelchair. 

He adds it is frustrating dealing with these things. 

“Especially in lots of public places, like even the Eastlink Centre here in Grande Prairie, or I can’t really go to the mall. The doors aren’t great.” 

Erin says other issues include parking or finding other transportation, and curbs. 

“Even at a wheelchair-accessible location, they say the curb is sloped, but it’s not enough, or there’s too big of a lift, or it’s too narrow.” 

Erin says it can be discouraging and daunting to try to plan an outing when there are so many things to consider. 

Jesse says a lack of accessibility can mean not being able to attend things like family events. 

“Something more important than just like  I’m going to go do this.” 

“You’ve got family and friends and people you haven’t seen in a long time. It sucks because you can’t get there.” 

Erin says, “It’s painful to watch your child struggle and not have any control.” 

“We try and control as much as we can and do what we can, but when you see your kid struggling like that and a lot of it is out of your control, I think it’s just painful more than anything, and you kind of feel hopeless.” 

Jesse also has to travel to Florida for treatment for what his mom calls “one of his incurable conditions” that is not available in Canada. He is participating in a scientific study. 

He says he has the same problems with accessibility, like doors not being wide enough, that he faces here.  

Jesse thinks it would be helpful if this were available here in Canada. 

Jesse also dreams of visiting Iceland. He was to go there on a Make-A-Wish Foundation trip after brain surgery, but the trip was called off because of volcanoes going off and Make-A-Wish could not fly there. 

Jesse calls that ridiculous, as Iceland is “basically made of volcanoes and they go off all the time.” 

He did end up going to Hawaii but says that was also a “major struggle” because of a lack of accessibility.

by Curtis Galbraith