Adults with disabilities invited to get together at Kinosoo Beach July 30
The Lakeland takes pride in in its natural beauty, but much of the developed outdoor recreation infrastructure can be difficult for people with disabilities to use.
Kay Lee Hallwachs lives in the M.D. of Bonnyville, and is an accessibilty consultant with Axcessibility Forward. She is inviting adults living with disabilities to meet up at Kinosoo Beach in Cold Lake to talk about challenges and solutions.
While she sees opportunities for improvements at Kinosoo Beach, she hopes to raise awareness that will eventually reduce or eliminate barriers throughout the region.
“It’s not specifically about Cold Lake,” Hallwachs said. “But in regards to the beach, I did a full review of it last year and I had taken that to Council.
“There are definitely things such as accessible parking, accessible bathrooms, programs, simple things like that, that could easily be improved upon. And thus far, we haven’t seen those changes.”
Hallwachs uses a wheelchair. “I live the life,” she says.
“I’m Rick Hansen-trained, so I do those assessments as well as federal reviews for accessibility. And I thought, you know, I’ve lived this life for six years in this community and I’ve felt isolated and alone,” she said. “And being an advocate, maybe I should stand up and say hey, we should start building a community for ourselves.”
She started a group in Bonnyville earlier this spring. The meet-up at the beach might be a first step toward forming a new advocacy group in Cold Lake. But Hallwachs says she has no specific intention beyond getting people together to talk about the issue.
“With how beautiful it is in Cold Lake in the summer, I want to see what kind of interest we have. And so this will be our first outdoor one in Cold Lake,” she said. “It’s usually about two hours long. A meeting of anybody with any sort of disability as an adult in the Lakeland region to come out and to just share their story. Have fun, build a community, find that support system, because it can be very lonely.”
All kinds of infrastructure, for centuries, has been built without much thought for how people with disabilities might be able to use it. Attitudes are changing, but replacing and retrofitting old construction takes time and money.
And so for many years, people with disabilities have been told to “be patient.”
“And that’s where we’re at,” Hallwachs said. “We’re being patient and we’re going to keep encouraging.
“I’m not here to cause problems. I would rather work with you than against you. And if people have questions, I’m here to help them out,” she said.
Hallwachs specializes in accessibility for outdoor events and trails, and she says there is room for optimism. “I’ve seen progress in even event spaces, so that’s been pretty cool. This area is definitely willing, so there is a possibility,” she said.
“We do belong, and we have a right to be included.”
She invites interested people to meet her at Kinosoo Beach, under the shade sail nearest the water treatment plant, on July 30 at 7:00 pm.