Dear Editor:
I am delighted that Chris Beaton had the courage to speak up about problems with inaccessibility in downtown Summerland, and you had the forthrightness to publish the story on the front page of the Review.
I share Mr. Beaton’s dilemma. I have been on crutches since I was 16, and in my retirement years have had to resort to using a scooter and a wheelchair more and more often.
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After 10 years in Summerland, I have learned which businesses are not accessible, and ignore them. I know which places let me enter with ease and take my business there.
Legislation and bylaws governing accessibility across Canada are most welcome.
However, that process takes time, and many of us don’t have that many years left to wait for change to happen.
One quick and inexpensive route that some cities use is an accessibility register.
If businesses that are accessible are listed online, people with disabilities can check before making a wasted trip in. If they are window shopping a sticker on the door indicating that a business is wheelchair accessible would be most welcome.
I challenge the council and the chamber of commerce in Summerland to put that concern on their agendas for immediate consideration.
Keith Dixon
Summerland
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