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Becoming more accessible as a society is happening, but slowly 12/22/2006 2:11:00 AM
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Dec 4, 2006 By: Danielle Milley
DURHAM — WindReach Farm is a unique destination in Durham, or anywhere else for that matter.
It offers accommodations, riding programs, a petting zoo and wagon rides. The difference between WindReach and other farms that welcome visitors is that WindReach has been designed with accessibility in mind.
The paths on the property are paved, several of the on-site signs have braille, and the wagon ride has a ramp. The accommodations have several features that make them accessible to someone who uses a wheelchair, including a cut-out under the sink, a stove with controls in the front, and a bathroom with a wall shower and a shower chair.
But, it’s not just visitors who are on the minds of those running WindReach Farm when thinking of accessibility, it’s also the employees and volunteers, some of whom have physical or cognitive disabilities. One special feature for them is the barn’s feeding room that features a chart with pictures and symbols of how much food each animal gets. That ensures all the employees can understand the feeding program, even if they have a problem with reading.
Sandy Mitchell founded WindReach Farm in 1989. Growing up Mr. Mitchell wanted to work on a farm, but because he has cerebral palsy he was always told he couldn’t.
“He always wanted to have a farm that people of all ages and abilities could enjoy,” said Kelly Taylor, the programs and activities manager at WindReach.
Today the farm has 160 volunteers, including 85 in the Work Experience Program, which allows summer and co-op students and people with special needs to refine employment and social skills. WindReach is visited by 20,000 people a year who come from all over; they include groups and families, people with disabilities and people without.
Being accessible is the norm for WindReach.
“The more we think about all encompassing disabilities or special needs, the better we will be,” Ms. Taylor said.
That is a statement echoed by many who work with accessibility issues on a regular basis. They argue making a store or office more accessible doesn’t just benefit those with disabilities, it benefits everyone.
“What’s good for the people with disabilities is also good for people without disabilities,” said Henry Kortekaas, chairman of the Region of Durham’s Accessibility Advisory Committee (DAAC). “Many of the things we are advocating for are better for everybody.”
For example a feature such as sliding doors not only benefits someone using a wheelchair, but it also benefits a parent with a stroller, someone with a broken leg or someone with a visual impairment.
Despite the increase in awareness about accessibility over the years, there remains many areas that are still off-limits to people with disabilities. The most progress has been made for people using wheelchairs to get around, as many believe it is a visible physical disability and easier to think about when designing space.
Mr. Kortekaas believes one of the things that needs to change in order to increase accessibility is attitudes and education. Today, there are still individuals who refer to people using a wheelchair as being disabled, instead of saying a person with a disability so the person comes first and is not defined by his or her disability.
Education and awareness is slowly getting to the general public. One of the ways it is being accomplished is through municipal accessibility advisory committees such as the Region of Durham’s.
Pauline Reid, policy and research adviser in the regional chief administrative officer’s office, co-ordinates with the DAAC. Through her involvement she has learned a lot.
“I think about (accessibility) all the time now,” she said. “I think about how (design) will impact people with a wide range of disabilities -- that’s another thing, it’s opened my eyes to disabilities other than mobility disabilities.” As a citizen and municipal representative, Ms. Reid looks at accessibility as a right, not as doing a favour.
“We have to think of this not as providing access for those with disabilities, but as providing full citizenship,” she said, adding there is no way to know who will need those features as someone once told her those who don’t have a disability are just TABs — temporarily able-bodied.
While Ms. Reid’s eyes have been opened through her experience with DAAC, she realizes municipal committees can’t reach out and individually educate every resident so awareness is going to take time. The local AACs have projects in the works and have done things in the past to reach out and educate their communities.
In the summer, the Ajax AAC made a presentation to a town Business Improvement Area to show business owners how they could make their operations more accessible. The committee has a pamphlet with four steps on how to make a business more accessible, including keeping aisles clear of clutter or displays, adding a ramp and having handrails at the front entrance, and offering a delivery service.
Organizations such as the Canadian National Institute for the Blind and the Canadian Hearing Society also serve an educational role, along with providing services to clients.
Lesley MacDonald, national co-ordinator of accessible design services, said the CNIB sits on different committees that deal with standards to try to get changes to make society more accessible.
“We do advocate for making the environment accessible in all areas... We make sure we’re at the table where those decisions are made,” she said.
Ms. MacDonald said sometimes vision loss (as well as hearing impairments) is overlooked in accessibility planning because the first thing people think of is wheelchairs and physical disabilities. She added that is starting to change.
“You are starting to see that more and more design is being done for all disabilities,” she said. The CNIB does workshops on accessible design that attract a lot of interest. Some changes in design have included braille maps at hotels, accessible pedestrian signals, and texture on stairs to indicate the edge.
“It moves slowly,” she said. “But, it’s happening.”
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