British Columbia is proud about being an inclusive travel destination for people of all abilities.
According to B.C.’s official tourism website, Vancouver was named “the most accessible city in the world” years before it hosted the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The region’s major gateway, Vancouver International Airport, is one of the most accessible airports in the world.
In addition, the B.C. government started a new initiative in 2014, called Accessibility 2024, a 10-year action plan to make B.C. more accessible for people with disabilities.
Much work is needed. In a five-block walk along Fort Street in downtown Victoria, I discovered that only 13 out of 40 stores have an automatic door — and that is an essential feature for people using wheelchairs.
I am 12 and I live with Duchene Muscular Dystrophy. I love walking in downtown Victoria, but as my condition progresses, I find it harder and harder to enter many of the stores because of their lack of wheelchair accessible entrances.
I used to live in Vancouver, and while I appreciated the accessible buildings there, I love Victoria’s smallness and that everything is within walking distance. I care about the environment and going places without needing to drive is something I really like about Victoria.
I love sports, but my condition prevents me from participating. I used to play soccer and basketball, but my physical abilities decrease quickly with time.
It is hard for me to talk about my struggles; not being able to play sports makes me feel terrible, and going for a stroll in downtown Victoria is one of my joys.
First, it is something that I can do, and second, I like rolling in my wheelchair through the Inner Harbour, shopping a little, chatting with people in stores, stopping in a coffee shop or restaurant, or browsing toys, books and comics.
It is frustrating and unfair when I cannot enter a store because it is not accessible.
It is unfair to have to ask people to open the door for me, as I want to be independent.
Most people find it easy to go into a store — they just open the door and go in. For people like me and others with mobility issues, it is hard. I think that being able to enter a store is my right, and businesses without automatic doors are excluding me.
Lack of accessibility is a problem for me, for other people using wheelchairs, and also for many others, such as the elderly or parents with young children in strollers.
Apart from automatic doors, there are a few other things needed for accessibility: benches and park tables, and sidewalks that are wider and less bumpy. I am glad that the City of Victoria has an Accessibility Working Group collaborating with Downtown Victoria Business Association to make city infrastructure and facilities more accessible for all.
I hope to raise awareness about the difficulties encountered by people with disabilities in our city.
Dacian Filipescu is a 12-year-old who is fighting for better access for all.
