Creating Change > Physical Environment Level: Physical Access >

Enhancing Physical Access: An Ecological Approach

• The Individual
• The Social Environment
• The Physical Environment
• Policies and Regulations
  

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

• Accessibility Checklist
  
• Alberta Committee of Citizens with Disabilities
  
• Barrier-Free Design Guide