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Enhancing Physical Access: An Ecological Approach

Enhancing Physical Access: The Individual

Strategies

You can encourage and promote physical accessibility at the individual level by

  • Listening and responding to clients, patients, members, or community members with limited mobility
  • Encouraging individuals to advocate for accessible buildings, equipment, etc.
  • Consulting with individuals whose options are limited by inaccessible facilities. They know their situations best and can suggest changes to the facility.

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Enhancing Physical Access: The Social Environment

Strategies

Try the following strategies to encourage and promote physical accessibility at the social level:

  • Develop partnerships with other individuals, organizations, and groups to support accessibility
  • Be open to feedback. Only by becoming aware of accessibility issues, can you work to improve the situation.
    Note: See Social Connections and Social Access sections for additional information.

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Enhancing Social Access: The Physical Environment

Strategies

You can ensure that persons of all abilities can participate fully in physical activity opportunities by

  • Having an accessibility audit conducted at your facility/building
  • Carefully evaluating trail, pathways, and viewing area surfaces to ensure they don’t pose any problems or dangers to persons with limited mobility
  • Providing enhanced audio-communication alternatives: FM systems, closed captioning, on-site interpreters
  • Providing extra space for specialized transportation drop-off and pick-up zones
  • Remembering that small changes sometimes have the biggest impact
    • Move equipment to different location
    • Keep hallways clear
    • Keep sidewalks shoveled in the winter
  • Ensuring accessible parking stalls are wide enough that individuals using wheelchair, walkers, or strollers can easily enter and exit their vehicles
  • Ensuring accessible parking stalls are located close to the building and that adjoining sidewalks have curb cuts for ease of access for wheelchair, walkers, strollers, etc.
  • Ensuring sidewalks and paths have curb cuts and that they are maintained all-year round
  • Ensuring front doors are wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs, walkers, strollers, etc.
  • Organizing volunteer drivers for individuals who are unable to drive themselves
  • Ensuring signage uses large print
  • Ensuring hallways are wide enough to accommodate two wheelchairs, walkers, or strollers
  • Ensuring the layout of the facility encourages ease of movement, whether an individual is walking or using a mobility support
  • Ensuring benches and chairs are provided at regular intervals for those who tire easily
  • Ensuring alternatives to stairs are in place
  • Ensuring equipment and programs meet a variety of needs
  • Paying attention to aspects of the built environment that may present potential tripping hazards for those with mobility and vision issues
  • Ensuring doorways, showers, change rooms, and washrooms can accommodate wheelchairs
  • Ensuring washrooms are equipped with safety equipment, such as grab bars

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Enhancing Social Access: Policies and Regulations

Strategies

You can address physical accessibility issues by developing policy and implementing regulations:

  • Create or seek funding opportunities that focus on enhancing the accessibility of recreational facilities
  • Develop and implement organizational and facility policies that ensure full access
  • Make accessibility a priority during renovations
  • Work with transportation and municipality planners to ensure bus routes are located close to your facility/building

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Enhancing Social Access: Useful Links

 

Quick links in Creating Change section

Individual Level
Time
Motivation
Health

Social Environment Level
Culture
Social Connections
Social Access

Physical Environment Level
Built Environment and Active Transportation
Physical Access
Natural Environment