Lack of accessibility should be an election issue

On Saturday, July 29th I went to a wedding at Mount Pearl’s biggest hotel. I was very surprised to find that I couldn’t get in the main entrance with my scooter.

My wife went in to inquire and was told that the hotel was grandfathered in from accessibility regulations and didn’t need to be wheelchair or scooter accessible. I was then told to go to a steep loading ramp that has a step at the top and leads to the kitchen. With help I got in and attended the wedding.

This is just not good enough. Mount Pearl prides itself on being a young, inviting city, but it appears that you’re not invited if you have a disability. It’s sad that businesses can find loopholes to get around accessibility laws and think it’s OK. It is even sadder that our governments let them do so.

This has been an issue for me all my life, but now it’s magnified because I depend on my scooter more. It appears that government legislation is not working, businesses can find loopholes, and disabled citizens’ rights are not important enough.

I’m asking you how you would feel if you can only spend your money at 50 per cent of the businesses in your community, or call to make reservations and find out you can’t go (you’re not welcome here). What if people only supported, and spent their money, in accessible businesses? Do you think business people will change? I challenge the candidates running in the municipal election to ask yourselves, “Would my campaign be different if I use a wheelchair?” It’s not good enough to say that’s it’s a provincial issue. It is a people issue.

We all know of someone who can walk one day and can’t the next. It’s bad enough when this happens, but then you realize that you are limited to the places you can go. In Mount Pearl, N.L., Canada, an example can and should be set for the whole world, that yes, we can do better.

Having a disability is not easy, and anyone may have one tomorrow. The biggest issue I have is not being able to attend different events with your friends and associates because some person doesn’t think it’s worth the investment to make it accessible for you.

So the next time you enter an establishment, ask yourself, “Would I be able to be here if I had a physical disability?” And if the answer is unfortunately no, then please ask yourself, “Then why am I here now?”