The City of Charlottetown pays lips service to accessibility while toasting newspaper heroes like Rick Hansen

Wheelchair cut out at Charlottetown Mall

People in wheelchairs don’t take long to come up against barriers in Charlottetown, PEI.

The City of Charlottetown has the appropriate by-laws for accessibility but will not enforce them.

In a trip to the dentist today at the Charlottetown Mall, my first barrier was the 4 inch step to the door at the West entrance (near the old liquor store).

I tried to use the store entrance to the right which has door opening buttons. They didn’t work. Two kind people held the door for me.

The dentist office doesn’t have a door opener which is helpful for not only people with disabilities. Seniors and mothers with strollers find the door buttons helpful.

There are bylaws about door opener’s but the by-law officer doesn’t enforce them.

I decided to get some office supplies across the street. Again I was met with another barrier before I could get to the crosswalk.

Later on I checked the cut-outs on University Avenue, which was just re-done with new sidewalks.

Cut-outs for wheelchair at University Avenue and MacKinnon Road

Both of cut-outs are outside code for incline and secondary angle. A person in a wheelchair would have trouble pushing up the ramp if it was straight. Add the dip down the street and it’s going to take a wheelchair athlete to negotiate.

You can find this code violation all over Charlottetown. New buildings and old buildings have barriers to people with disabilities.

Mayor Clifford Lee supports accessibility in the newspaper

From all the headlines, our Mayor is one champion for accessibility.

Mayor Clifford Lee handing out accessibility awards with Phillip Chugg, centre, and Dick St. John (photo Charlottetown Guardian)

“We are so pleased to welcome this extraordinary Canadian back to our Capital City,” said Charlottetown Mayor Clifford Lee. “Rick Hansen’s perseverance, determination and spirit have been an inspiration to us all for more than two decades.”

“It is very important to me that all of Charlottetown’s citizens have access to the products, services and programs they need to live a healthy, active lifestyle.”

OK Mayor Lee, let’s have some action to meet your words. Skip the photo op for the Guardian and phony awards. Enforce the by-laws.