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wheel
chair
access
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This past week Kevin McIntyre paid a visit to Tisdale and he
reported in his story about his visit that he was not impressed.
Now I am genuinely proud to live in Tisdale and at Christmas time I tried
to show
off the retail segment of the community off so that you
too would appreciate the excellent market place that this outstanding rural community
has to offer. The difference between Kevin and myself is that Kevin is dependent
upon
his van and wheelchair to get around and I am still able
to walk and climb up and down stairs. |
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senior
citizens
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During a business day, any business day, go down town in Tisdale and
you are certain to see at least one motorised wheel chair and one person using a
walker. There are more than a dozen wheel chair bound people who make their way up
town almost every day and dozens more who must make their way around using muscle
powered or electric driven wheel chairs. After all Tisdale is a community with a
large proportion of senior citizens and for them mobility is so important in their
lives. |
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self
propelled
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In 1971 I was doing a sociology course and one of the assignments
we were given was to study a minority group and the group I was in were given senior
citizens. We went out and interviewed visited and studied the life style of seniors
in Regina and discovered the number one quality of life factor for every individual
we met in the study was their need for independence. The more dependent a person
is the less value they attribute to themselves and their reason to go on living declines
remarkably. We discovered a group of seniors living in older hotels and next to the
ones we met hanging out on the street they were the happiest people we interviewed.
It is impossible to understand the importance of being in control of your life and
mobility, being able to shopping, banking, visiting, on your own power is what life
is really all about. |
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danger
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Have you noticed that teenagers and children are not a problem on
Tisdale's sidewalks, no skateboarders to dodge, no roller bladders to contend with,
no munchkins on bicycles; Tisdale's sidewalks are just to rough for these means of
getting around. I move around Tisdale on a bicycle and I never go near the sidewalks,
they are just to dangerous. |
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walkers
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Now it is important to understand that most of downtown Tisdale is
off limits to people in wheelchairs but what if you get around with the help of a
cane or a walker, these sidewalks and store entrances are just as impossible for
these people as those on wheels. |
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drought
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For the past five years we in this part of Canada have experienced
the worst drought conditions in recorded history with last summer being the worst.
The whole of Tisdale is sitting on clay, it is under everything. However, our houses
and commercial buildings are sitting atop piles. This has produced a differential
in settling as the low water content in the clay has caused it to shrink and the
whole town has settle as much as six to eight inches, some areas like the main street
and its sidewalks more than others while the buildings remain at their permanent
level. Geologists and other experts have assured me that when the water table rises
the clay will not swell but these streets and lawns, sidewalks and gardens will remain
at their present level. |
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many
new
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In the pictures presented with this story you can see the drastic
signs of descent of the sidewalk in comparison with the buildings. This is particularly
upsetting to the merchants and the town of Tisdale who have had to foot the bill
for replacing a lot of side walking in the two blocks of the downtown area in just
the past few years. But as Kevin discovered the sidewalks are so uneven and slope
so much toward the pavement that his van lift can not be used to let him get out
of his van or return to it on the streets in the down town area. |
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unfair
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It is unlikely that as a community Tisdale can not afford to do its
best to remedy this situation. Most of the people in Tisdale live close enough to
the downtown area for the very reason that being close allows them the ability to
get around on their own but with the condition of the walkways and the inaccessibility
of the majority of the stories and businesses we are placing major and unfair obstacles
before the citizens of the community. |
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stairs
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Today, I began at the Hotel across from the post office and worked
my way down the two blocks of the downtown area first on the East side then worked
my way back South along the West side photographing each and every entrance way.
The images are presented in order below. I did miss Zeorbe's bakery as I dashing
in to grab a BeeSting and warm up my hands and change batteries but Zeorbes like
most other locations is not accessible to anyone who can not climb stairs. |
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six
inches
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As you look at these pictures notice that only a few would not be
level were the sidewalk lifted six inches. Those businesses with two or more steps
up need to run ramps into their business, though this would take up valuable floor
space it would make them accessible and the whole community would benefit from this
awareness and improvement. |
