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Accessibility

Making Beaches More Accessible

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Vancouver is famous for its lovely beaches – beaches that are largely inaccessible to those who rely on a wheelchair for their mobility.

At Pacific Medical Law we understand the challenges that wheelchair users and their families can experience when trying to engage in recreational activities. That’s why we were excited to learn that the Vancouver Park Board is launching a pilot project to improve beach accessibility. Beginning in August a fixed mat will be installed at the English Bay bath house, running down to the water all the way down to the low tide line. Complete with several connected platforms, the hope is that wheelchair users can be joined by friends and family for a day of fun in the sun.

This pilot project will run until the end of the summer, and if it proves to be a success, more mats will be installed at other beaches for the summer of 2018.

Some equipment is already available in Vancouver to improve beach accessibility. At the Kitsilano lifeguard station a rolled-up mat is available, but it must be requested in advance of use. Both Jericho Beach and English Bay offer a wheelchair designed for beach and water use, with big tires to negotiate the sand. The difficulty with all of this equipment is that the wheelchair user must rely on lifeguard staff to be available to provide the equipment. The great thing about the Mobi-mat is that once it is installed it will be available all day, every day, removing one of the complications that a wheelchair user and their family must grapple with in order to enjoy a day at the beach!

Read more about the Mobi-mat system here:

http://www.mobi-mat-chair-beach-access-dms.com/recpath/

Read more about the story here:

http://globalnews.ca/news/3571683/disabled-advocates-applaud-vancouvers-proposal-for-more-accessible-beaches/

Photo from the Mobi-mat website

Pacific Medical Law Supports the 2017 Janna Epp Bursary

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Pacific Medical Law has established a bursary in honour of Janna Epp, a beautiful, determined young girl with cerebral palsy who faced challenges that few of us could imagine. Sadly on October 11, 2012, Janna passed away.

In memory of Janna, Pacific Medical Law donates $5,000 to a child living with cerebral palsy in BC every year, to assist with that child’s care, therapy, equipment or recreation.

If you have a child with cerebral palsy who could benefit from these funds, please send in your application. The recipient of the bursary will be selected by Janna’s mother.

Applications are due July 1, 2017

Contact Pacific Medical Law for application details:

604-685-2361 or toll free 604-685-2361

[email protected]

Play Without Limits – Why it Matters!

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At Pacific Medical Law, we know that for kids, playing is not a luxury – it is their “work”. It is how children learn to interact with their environment, develop physical skills and strength, expand their imagination and build friendships. It is indeed the essence of childhood. The importance of play in a child’s life simply cannot be over-emphasized.

Kids with disabilities are just like all other kids – they want to play, explore and have fun with friends. Yet, notwithstanding our common experience and the medical research which supports the importance of play in a child’s life, there is little support offered to children with disabilities to create recreational opportunities and support their ability to engage in play. Children with disabilities often need specialized equipment or other supports to facilitate their participation.

We are proud to support the efforts of the Cerebral Palsy Association of BC to assist them in raising funds to create opportunities for our youngest members to play. Last year, through the generous support of our community, we were able to provide an adaptive bike to a little girl with cerebral palsy named Eleeka. She rode a bike for the first time in her life – and her smile said it all! I had a chance to meet with Eleeka and it was clear to me that she and her family were very happy for her to have this special bicycle so she could be active in the sunshine.

To be in a position to put a smile on the face of a child is an opportunity that should not be missed. To be able to provide an opportunity for a child to grow, to laugh and to build friendships that they might not otherwise have is an opportunity that should be seized upon. It is a unique opportunity where doing something small can make a significant difference in the life of a child.

Kids with disabilities are resilient. They are fighters. They have overcome challenges and hurdles that few of us can comprehend. They deserve the same opportunities as all other kids. I am committed to doing what I can to make a difference in the lives of children living with cerebral palsy.

Accessible Summer Fun

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Summertime is just around the corner! Time for vacations, picnics in the park and trips to the beach. But if you have mobility problems, even the simple pleasure of dipping your toes in the ocean can be elusive.

We know that for people with brain injuries, such as cerebral palsy, or those who have suffered strokes or spinal cord injuries, travelling and getting into the great outdoors can be difficult. Not every person with mobility challenges has the same needs, and the word “wheel-accessible” can mean different things to different people. People with mobility challenges need to plan ahead and make sure that the places they want to go can really address their needs.

For those planning international travel or perhaps a cruise, there are resources available that can help you ask the right questions of airlines, hotels or ships before you finalize your travel plans. The more specific your questions are, the more likely you are to find exactly what you need to have the best vacation possible.

But you don’t need to travel abroad to have a great vacation. There’s something to be said for having a “stay-cation” – a vacation in your own home town. For example, did you know there are beach wheelchairs available at Vancouver beaches from June to September? There also is a plastic pathway available that you can lay down on the sand to make it easier to roll a wheelchair to the shore. You have to plan ahead and call several days before you want to use these items to make sure they are available. For more information about accessible beaches and reserving a beach wheelchair or wheelchair path kit in Vancouver check out: http://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/accessible-beaches.aspx. If you don’t live in Vancouver, contact your local parks board to find out if there are similar resources available for you.

Summer fun should be accessible to everybody. By learning what resources are available in your community or at your travel destination and by planning ahead, everybody should be able to enjoy a summer vacation, or at the very least, be able to dip their toes in the ocean!

Accessible travel resources

Tourism BC has information about accessible transportation, accommodation and activities on their website: http://www.hellobc.com/british-columbia/about-bc/accessibility.aspx

There is a non-profit organization in Quebec that promotes and develops accessible tourism and culture in that province. Their website includes practical tools and tips for disabled travellers as well as a database of travel services and resources in a number of locations across Quebec. http://www.keroul.qc.ca/en/home.html

Information about international travel and accommodation can be found at:

http://worldonwheelz.com/

http://codi.tamucc.edu/travelin.htm

http://barrier-freecruising.com/

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=9

September is Disability Employment Month in BC

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Most people know that people with disabilities have to overcome challenges – challenges in finding accessible housing, using public transportation, and finding employment, to name just a few. At Pacific Medical Law, we are reminded of this every day as we work to help our clients with cerebral palsy or spinal cord injuries for example, people who, through no fault of their own, are unable to find employment in a traditional workplace.

September 1st marks the beginning of BC’s second annual Disability Employment Month. It’s a chance to recognize and celebrate the contribution people with disabilities bring to the workplace and recognize the many inclusive employers around the province.

Most progressive province for people with Disabilities

BC has set a goal to have the highest labour-market participation rates for people with disabilities of any province in Canada. This is one of the objectives of Accessibility 2024 – BC’s 10 year action plan to make BC the most progressive province in Canada for people with disabilities. The plan also includes strategies for improving the inclusiveness of government, and communities, as well as increasing accessible housing, transportation and employment, among other things.

A recent letter to the editor in the Vancouver Sun focused on inclusive hiring and highlights a number of reasons why inclusive hiring makes sense. For example:

  • A survey of supervisors with experience managing people with disabilities revealed employees with disabilities performed better than their co-workers in terms of punctuality, attendance, work quality, task consistency, and overall proficiency.
  • A Job Accommodation Network study found more than half of 1,100 employers of people with disabilities benefited from increased overall company morale and productivity. Employees with disabilities also bring a new perspective that can help make a business more welcoming to all.
  • Almost 90 per cent of consumers prefer companies that employ people with disabilities, according to a study cited in a Conference Board report.

Approximately 334,000 British Columbians aged 15 to 64 years self-identify as having a disability – that’s 15% of the population. According to the 2012 Canadian Survey on Disability, only 55% of persons with disabilities aged 15 to 64 years participate in the labour market, compared to 78% of persons without disabilities. The cost of workplace accommodations for a person with disability is $500 or less on average. People with disabilities represent an important employee talent pool that can add value to a workplace. Hiring people with disabilities just makes sense for so many reasons. Here are additional stats on disabilities.

To see the full letter to the editor go to: (It’s just smart business – Vancouver Sun Sept 1, 2015)

More details on the business case for hiring people with disabilities can be found at: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2015SDSI0042-001401

For more information about Accessibility 2024, go to: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/about-the-bc-government/accessibility

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