The acting chair of the municipal accessibility advisory committee says the number of people with disabilities in the city is only going to increase.
Tessa Soderberg said Thunder Bay’s aging population means that accessibility is going to continue to be a major issue in the city as she helped take part in the raising of the United Nations flag at city hall on Tuesday to commemorate the UN’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
She said the day has an important symbolic meaning.
“It’s a recognition of people with disabilities,” Soderberg said. “It just recognizes that there are so many people, one in seven in Ontario and 15 per cent of people worldwide have a disability.”
Soderberg, who relies upon a service animal, said there have been strong efforts among city services to improve transportation.
“I think we’ve made tremendous steps over the past 10 years,” she said. “There are always going to be issues, but I think we’ve made tremendous steps forward in accessibility. You look at transit and the efforts to improve sidewalk curbs and ramping for people in wheelchairs.”
Soderberg identified having documentation available in alternate formats, such as Braille, and the increased accessibility of the city’s website as other areas that have improved.
She said there is still quite a ways to go, particularly in the private sector.
She said businesses should realize that having easier accessibility will translate into more revenue as those with disabilities will choose to spend money in the establishments.
