Accessibility isn’t one-size-fits-all and a group of advocates, business leaders and officials set out to prove just that in Uptown Waterloo. “We are working hard to listen and learn from the experiences that people share with us and make improvements in our spaces,” explained Amy Ross, a local accessibility advocate. The group set out on a mission — not to shop or sightsee, but to map accessibility one step at a time. “What I experience as a person with a disability is not the same as someone else,” said Ross. “There are things that people can modify very easily to make it be more inclusive.” Participants were armed with cellphones and the AccessNow app. “The AccessNow app provides real-time information to people about what to expect when they go out into a public space or a business, about whether they can interact with that space meaningfully, depending on their disability,” Ross said. Teams of four hit the streets to visit local business and public spaces, adding real-time data to the AccessNow platform. They assessed everything from physical elements to sensory and communication features. “So, is it too loud? Is the lighting good? Is there a washroom that is physically accessible? Is it wide enough for a wheelchair to fit into? What are the aisle ways in the stores [like]? And the scoring is green is good, yellow it’s maybe challenging or requires work, red means it’s not yet accessible,” explained Ross. All the data collected on Tuesday was added to the app and its digital map. “This gives us a benchmark and a base that we could work with, and make it work with our businesses to educate them and also find opportunities how we could fund them to make some of the spaces more accessible in the future,” said Jeyas Balaskanthan, executive director of the Uptown Waterloo Business Improvement Area. It’s a messaged echoed by Mayor Dorothy McCabe. “Making your business, making your restaurant accessible is really important,” she said. “There may be a small cost involved, but through our uptown improvement funds and things like that, we’re willing to help provide some of that, defray some of those costs. But really, we want to spread the message that Uptown is open and accessible.” One stop during the tour was the Old Fire Hall Confectionery where co-owner Natasha Usher said accessibility has been their mission from the start. “It is allowing families to come at different stages, from the grandparents to a little kid,” Usher explained. “We obviously need room for strollers and any kind of assistive devices that people may need in the family. Allowing some room around the tables in the store as well. You can certainly wheel a wheelchair or a stroller up to the table, having an accessible washroom as well was important and there’s braille on the sign.” Some of the challenges participants experienced were doors that weren’t automated and narrow passageways. But the tour wasn’t just about checking boxes, it was about building something bigger. “We’re just contributing to the bigger map,” said Ross. “Folks that are local can use this but equally, if you’re visiting Waterloo, you can also gain access to the information.”
