Parapan Am Games push businesses toward accessibility
Games organizers hope to leave a legacy of accessibility."
Thestar.com
May 7, 2015
By Sarah-Joyce Battersby
Wheelchair basketball player Abdi Dini can dominate on the court, winning gold at the 2012 London Paralympics, but choosing a restaurant to celebrate the win presents problems.
Dini started using a wheelchair after an errant bullet lodged in his spine while he played with friends during recess as a boy in Somalia.
Since moving to Toronto in 1993, where it was easier to navigate in his chair, commuting has become easier. More accessible TTC buses cut down his reliance on Wheel-Trans.
But business owners don’t always know what to look for to improve accessibility, Dini said in an interview on Wednesday.
Roomier washrooms and larger doors would go a long way.
“There are people with different types of disability and that use different mobility devices to get around: scooters, electric chairs,” Dini said.
“It will be eye-opening for some people,” he said of the influx of 1,500 athletes attending the Parapan Am Games in August.
Dini addressed a crowd of business owners that gathered on Thursday to learn how to improve accessibility.
The Pan and Parapan Am Games organizing committee hosted the event as part of its Are You Ready? initiative.
“If we can demystify what accessibility is, we’re contributing to a legacy of a more inclusive society,” Naki Osutei, the director of public affairs and social legacy for the Games’ organizing committee, said ahead of the conference.
The initiative includes a four-part challenge to business owners: create clear paths of travel, build no-step entrances, comply with Ontario’s accessibility act, and make their communications more accessible.
