Dad shovels accessible parking spaces so his son can go out
Tired of saying no to his son, Devin Sisak picked up a shovel and decided to take matters into his own hands.
Ahead of the Family Day long weekend, the founder of BarrierFree Cambridge spent three hours shovelling snow out of accessible parking spaces in Cambridge.
Between 3 and 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Sisak cleared 10 accessible spots across three cityowned parking lots.
“My son likes to be social and go see people,” he said. “What started to happen was I was making excuses about why I couldn't take him places.”
Sisak's 13yearold son, Holden, uses a wheelchair, and winter has made it more difficult for him and his family to take part in everyday activities. Sisak's partner also uses a wheelchair.
Snowcovered sidewalks, icy curb cuts, and blocked accessible parking spaces have turned simple outings into stressful and sometimes dangerous situations.
“So much so that my partner can't even go by herself,” he said. “When she transfers out of the vehicle, her chair can slip. She could fall and get injured.”
Over time, Sisak said those barriers began to wear him down.
“I told myself, `How sad is that — that I'm his father and I'm holding him back from participating in the community?' ”
And that frustration is what pushed him to act.
“So, I thought, you know what, I'm just going to clear them myself,” he said. “So everyone can go out and enjoy their community.”
Sisak shared photos of his work on Facebook, showing beforeandafter images of accessible parking spaces buried under snowbanks. One of the photos showed a space so full of snow it couldn't be cleared by hand.
“These spaces are not a convenience. They are not for snow storage,” Sisak wrote in his post. “They are a critical access point for people with disabilities, seniors, and families who rely on them to participate in daily life.”
While shovelling, Sisak said people stopped to thank him.
He saw seniors being helped to their cars and told them the spots would be safer the next time they came downtown.
“That's really what drove me,” he said. “Being able to participate in our community with dignity.”
The city states all parking spaces — including accessible ones — must be cleared within 24 hours after a snowfall of at least five centimetres.
City staff said they conduct inspections regularly and contact contractors when issues are identified.
The city also added it had not received any previous complaints about blocked accessible parking spaces this winter before Thursday.
Sisak disputes that, saying he raised concerns with the City of Cambridge on Jan. 27 about snow being piled into accessible parking spaces, including one behind city hall. While that spot was eventually cleared, he says many others were left untouched.
He added accessible parking concerns have been raised multiple times over the years, including at Accessibility Advisory Committee meetings.
“We faced these same issues last year and here we are, a year later, dealing with the exact same thing,” he said.
“When people with disabilities tell you what they're experiencing, that's not misinformation. That's lived experience.”
Coun. Corey Kimpson shared that residents have raised concerns about specific areas, such as the sidewalks and accessible spots at Preston Auditorium, where snow and ice left behind after clearing made it difficult for someone using a walker or wheelchair to access the sidewalk.
“Manoeuvring through snow and slush is a nuisance for most of us,” Kimpson said. “But for those with accessibility needs, it is a significant barrier and safety concern.”
Sisak worries about the real dangers snow and ice create.
“Even the smallest amount of hardpacked snow can wreak havoc,” he said. “If someone slips transferring into their wheelchair and ends up on the ground in the winter, that's a very serious situation.”
Sisak says accessibility can't be treated as optional or seasonal and hopes the attention will lead to real change.
“Bring people with disabilities to the table,” he said.
“Listen to them. Use their lived experience to shape policy. This isn't hard. It just takes coordination and care.”
The city said its accessibility team will be reviewing the new snow removal contract “to ensure that prioritization is addressed and that future service levels are better aligned with current Facility Accessibility Design Standards (FADS).”