Not Accessible

I can’t really think of a time where William was limited purely by his wheelchair. As a family we have had many times where he was limited by his health, but it was our decision to join in or not risk illness.

Maybe I have turned a blind eye to activities that limit his access because subconsciously I didn’t want to face that type of disappointment or reality.

Recently, that disappointment and reality, that I may have been avoiding, hit me squarely in the face! We signed William up for a community engineering class to supplement his homeschool learning. He was within the age range, the activities sounded fun and he would be more than capable of participating with the help of his caregiver. His homeschool program was designed around him learning about the activities in this class in more depth at home and all accommodations were made to make this class and learning happen.

We take a lot of care in planning William’s schedule and picking appropriate community activities. Although there are many classes to choose from, there are very few that are suitable for William. He can do group classes like; art, cooking and science but, sports and physical classes are not typically classes we would choose for him. And he does get a lot of physical activity at home that are specific to his needs and abilities.

So, on the first Wednesday of class, there was excitement around heading out. William had been told about this class and everyone was excited for him to start. Going out is a highlight for all of our staff and for William. When William and Tom arrived at the location, they were immediately greeted by a set of two stairs.

Two stairs seems like no big deal to the average person, but for a kid in a wheelchair it’s devastating.

None the less, Tom persisted and managed to find a ramp at the back of the building. Relief, right? Wrong!! That ramp only led to another set of stairs to the second level of the building where the class was taking place. After a discussion with the woman leading the class, it was decided that there was no way William would be getting upstairs.

Imagine the embarrassment for this woman (apparently she was beside herself) and the disappointment and shock for Tom.

Now think about this sweet little boy unable to engage with his peers and left wondering why they were leaving something he was excited for.

When the story was relayed to me my heart sank, and I was paralyzed by the shock. I calmly agreed for them to just leave the class and said I would follow up. It took me a couple days for my feelings to really settle in, and by this time I had already taken him out of the class. There was no issue getting the fees back or taking him out of the class but there was also no attempt to coordinate a new room or location for this class.

There was no concern for inclusivity, accessibility or how this would make any family feel. This is a community offered class through the only Recreation Centre in our town and certain children don’t have access to it. WTF?

 

There is a reason why children with special needs aren’t seen in our community. There is a reason families don’t feel supported when raising children with special needs. And there are reasons why families raising children with special needs feel trapped in their homes and are hesitant to go out to anything other than their regularly scheduled medical appointments.

Now that I have cooled off from the initial hit, I’m taking steps to educate those who have a say in our community – challenge accepted! Letters are being sent and this mama bear is going to get loud.

There is absolutely no excuse for anyone to be excluded from any community recreation program. And the bottom line is that I know our community can do better but they won’t do better unless they know where they are falling short. I can’t expect better if I’m not willing to use my voice in a positive and productive way.