A Nova Scotia woman says traveling through Halifax by wheelchair is no easy feat.
“Not everything is going to be completely accessible all the time,” says Crystal Fournier. “I know that. I’ve lived my whole life knowing that. But my frustration lies in knowing there are some things that can be changed.”
There’s no crosswalk at her bus stop, so Fournier says she takes a big risk when she crosses Main Street which is one of Fairview’s busiest streets.
“People don’t see me because I’m short in the chair,” she says. “So I race across the street and hope for the best.”
Her stop also lacks the blue sticker that signals a Halifax Transit accessible bus stop.
“Last weekend at Mumford Road, I waited three buses before I was permitted on a bus,” she says.
She says two drivers told her they were just too full.
“These are the things that need to change in respect to access,” she adds.
Joe Rudderdam is the co-chair of a provincial advisory panel on accessibility legislation which is studying all aspects of accessibility. The panel will submit its findings to the government in February.
“We have a province where individuals cannot participate because they face real barriers,” he says.
The public is also able to submit their concerns and suggestions to the panel until Friday. To date, they have received 50 submissions.
