{"id":314,"date":"2023-11-17T22:19:58","date_gmt":"2023-11-17T22:19:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/capitalchill\/?p=314"},"modified":"2023-11-28T02:40:46","modified_gmt":"2023-11-28T02:40:46","slug":"snowed-in-navigating-the-winter-through-disabled-and-aging-perspectives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/capitalchill\/2023\/11\/17\/snowed-in-navigating-the-winter-through-disabled-and-aging-perspectives\/","title":{"rendered":"Snowed in: Navigating the winter through disabled and aging perspectives"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As winter draws near, you\u2019d be hard pressed to find someone in Ottawa who hasn\u2019t had to hop over a snowbank or two on their daily commutes. For some residents, navigating snowbanks isn\u2019t an option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Advocates for improving winter mobility say disabled and aging Ottawa residents aren\u2019t often considered in snow and ice removal policy. This inaccessibility leads to more people being unable to go outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The City of Ottawa Winter Maintenance Quality Standards, which turn 20 this year, prioritize roadways but there is little mention of accessibility for residents with mobility problems. The standards have been under review for years, but updates have been delayed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sandra Stec, a community leader in Centretown for the volunteer group Snow Moles, said the snow piled on the edges of sidewalks last winter made them unpassable.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Sandra
Community Snow Mole leader Sandra Stec outside during a walk using her Nordic walking poles. Stec says that these can be helpful during the winter since they help mobilize users and give them more stability [Photo \u00a9 Nadia Nikpour-Badr]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cYou couldn\u2019t go down the street, even if you were in an emergency vehicle,\u201d Stec said. She explained how people with mobility aids, or even strollers, would be forced to walk in the road due to sidewalk conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She also said she\u2019s seen a disparity with snow removal in residential versus suburban neighbourhoods. \u201cThey clear out the snow in Kanata far sooner than they would do here,\u201d Stec said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Snow Moles, a six-year-old project created by members of The Council on Aging and Age Friendly Ottawa, engages volunteers who share their winter navigation experiences with the City of Ottawa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The council says snow and ice removal is often done haphazardly, leaving narrow crossing paths, uneven terrain and slippery conditions. Disabled and\/or aging residents are left to devise their own strategies on how to keep safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Jay Baldwin, a Carleton University student who uses a power chair, advocacy is a daily task in a world that doesn\u2019t consider disabled voices. \u201cPeople will ask if I ever get tired fighting for the rights of people like me,\u201d said Baldwin, who minors in human rights and disability studies. \u201cDo you think disabled people have an option? We can\u2019t wake up one day and hope that other people will fight for us just as hard as we do \u2013 that just doesn\u2019t happen,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baldwin recounted a time in first year when they were stuck in the middle of the road because of the snow. \u201cFour sweet angels of human beings stopped and saw that I was stuck. They had to lift my whole chair out of the snow,\u201d Baldwin said. \u201cThis is a heavy chair. Without me in it it\u2019s already 400 pounds.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uneven snow clearage on sidewalks also gives Baldwin a hard time. \u201cI brace myself every time I go on the sidewalks for bumps. It\u2019s hard to do that since my spine is fused,\u201d they said. This leads to them staying indoors for most of the winter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Jay
Jay Baldwin shares their experience with winter accessibility with the City of Ottawa. They’ve created community groups on social media sites to promote intersectionality in disabled and queer communities. [Photo \u00a9 Nadia Nikpour-Badr]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This has led to them forming a book club, \u201cDisabled Babes Book Club\u201d and a queer Facebook group \u201cDisabled, Queer and Fabulous\u201d for the sole purpose of \u201cbringing people like myself and my community together,\u201d Baldwin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Carleton\u2019s campus, a tunnel system can be a much-needed refuge from the snow. For Jessica Ursitti, it makes it easy for her to get to her classes in the winter, but off campus is a different story. Ursitti, who studies history at Carleton, uses a power chair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Jessica
Jessica Ursitti, a third year History student, shares her experience commuting by bus. During the winter, uneven snow clearage can lead to troubles boarding buses. [Photo \u00a9 Nadia Nikpour-Badr]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ice poses a significant challenge to Ursitti, especially since sidewalks aren\u2019t typically cleared for it. \u201cI can\u2019t get around ice very much. My wheels just keep turning,\u201d Ursitti said. \u201cI have a lot of instances where people have to push me, which is really uncomfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ursitti explained she needs a power chair in the wintertime since manual wheelchairs can easily get stuck. \u201cManual chairs are totally different, you can\u2019t do snow at all,\u201d said Ursitti \u201cSlush gets stuck between the wheels on a manual chair, and then you\u2019ll get it on your hands. It\u2019s not doable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another problem, she said, is when snow isn\u2019t fully cleared off the sidewalk and accessibility ramps on OC Transpo buses can\u2019t lower completely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Jessica
Jessica Ursitti expects commutes to take three times as long due to inaccessible transit. [Photo \u00a9 Nadia Nikpour-Badr]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had to ask people so many times to kick the snow out of the way. They do it, and they\u2019re nice about it, but you don\u2019t want to ask,\u201d Ursitti said. \u201cYou just want to be able to do this stuff and not bother people \u2014 it\u2019s annoying.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joel Harden, MPP for Ottawa Centre, has been fighting for a more accessible Ottawa. He said winter mobility conditions can mean \u201chouse arrest the moment we have a massive snowstorm.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said the ability of municipalities to raise money for city maintenance has been drastically cut because of new Ontario legislation adopted last year that waives development charges that otherwise would go to municipal funding, such as snow removal and sidewalk safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The City of Ottawa declined a request for comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The following photo sliders show what Ottawa streets look like with and without snow. To use the photo sliders, drag the white circle across the image to reveal the difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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