I love taking daily walks with my favorite guy and our dog, Tiny. Since we live in an accessible neighborhood, it’s not difficult to do. But when I’m in an unfamiliar area of a city physical barriers can and most probably become an obstacle. I guess you can say it’s like I am on an obstacle course.
Potholes, high curbs, no curb cuts, and uneven foundation can turn my strolls into a dangerous experience and that is not fun.
When a person uses a mobility device to get around, he or she must be aware of physical barriers that may stop him or her in their tracks. Physical barriers cause roadblocks for those who use mobility devices, but it can also be a major issue for someone who’ s blind, deaf, or has cogitative disabilities. You would think by all things having to be ADA (American With Disabilities Act) compliant, including an accessible route of travel, cities would oblige by the rule but that’s not always the case. Unless something affects you directly or someone you love, it’s easy to push an issue, such as this, to the wayside.
While I was on vacation in Chicago, I took a stroll to the Chicago Museum and ran right into a roadblock; there was construction being done and the city closed the sidewalk. As result, I had to go around and stroll in the street. Although, I still made it to my destination, the few moments that I was forced to ride in the street was an inconvenience and somewhat dangerous.
If I had known about the construction work being done on the sidewalk ahead of time, I could’ve rerouted my journey and not have encountered the construction. I would have felt safer and it would have saved some time on my scooter’s battery.
Thanks to a new program named, Project Sidewalk, hopefully running into obstacles while strolling in any city won’t be an issue anymore. Project Sidewalk is an online program created at the University of Washington allowing those with physical challenges to map out their stroll ahead of time.
The exciting new program allows the community to post pictures of physical obstacles around their city. This will assist people with disabilities to be aware of the barriers and take alternative routes if desired.
As of now, I see the program has only been launched in a few cities including Columbus, Ohio. I’m hopeful it will be everywhere soon. This will save many living with and those with temporary disabilities a lot of time and headaches on their journeys.
Accessibility makes the world a better and inclusive place. With programs like Project Sidewalk, possibilities are endless.
I definitely look forward to Project Sidewalk becoming universal. Obstacles have definitely gotten in the way of my leisurely stroll. It will be nice to have real-time information regarding access or obstacles along the chosen route.
Mary Ellen,
I absolutely agree. Thanks for your comment.
I strongly agree… project sidewalk is the future. That was a great blog
Victor,
Thanks for the comment. I’m so proud of the advocate you’ve become with creating a business “Fortitude” which is providing services to people with disability to enhance our lives. You make me a proud aunt! 🙂