Lack of accessibility to a host of buildings and services is a sore point with Barbara Florio Graham, a senior living in Gatineau, Que.
Over the course of a few minutes the 75-year-old author and consultant effortlessly rhymes off a lengthy list of day-to-day challenges she and other seniors face on a regular basis in the National Capital Region, which includes Ottawa and Gatineau.
For starters, there’s the lack of curb cuts and automatic doors at entrances next to handicapped parking where she often parks her car, which has a handicapped tag.
“What's the point of handicapped parking if you have to climb a curb and then pull open a heavy door?” asks Graham, whose mobility problems make it difficult for her to walk any distance or climb stairs. She also has a shoulder that acts up when she opens heavy doors and carries heavy objects.
Next are buildings where handicapped parking doesn't connect with the handicapped ramp, such as at Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa, where she is a regular visitor.
“This is a public building, which ought to have better access. It's fine if you are dropped off by a taxi or friend at the front entrance, but if you drive, you can risk a serious fall if the weather is bad.’’
Then there are public buildings that provide handicapped access but signs indicating this are not clearly visible from the street, forcing those with physical challenges to either park or be dropped off at the right entrance to avoid steep flights of stairs.
Graham also objects to having to call restaurants when she reads a favorable review to find out if they’re accessible.
“I'd like to see all restaurant reviewers include this information … and I'd like to see the City of Ottawa promote accessibility by giving restaurants that have no stairs (either into the restaurant or to the washrooms) and off-street parking, a sign or decal they can put in their windows and a place on a dedicated page on the City website.’’
Other seniors can no doubt add dozens more examples of their own but thankfully, a project launched three years ago is beginning to provide relief in a growing number of Canadian cities and towns.
It’s the Age-Friendly Communities Initiative, which grew out of the Age-Friendly Cities Project developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) with support from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and which in 2007 resulted in the launch of a practical Age-Friendly Cities Guide.
Thirty-three cities in 22 countries participated by conducting focus groups to identify age-friendly assets and barriers within their cities.
The participants have recognized that the many older people live in environments that have not been designed with their needs and capacities in mind. When planning for long-term community development, the Age-Friendly Communities Initiative seeks to ensure that communities around the world will consider the needs of this growing segment of the population.
Canada has provided funding and staff support for the WHO global project and PHAC played a leadership role in engaging provincial partners to involve four Canadian cities - Saanich, B.C., Portage La Prairie, Man., Sherbrooke, Que. and Halifax. As well, PHAC and the provinces have produced the Age-Friendly Rural and Remote Communities Guide for out of the way communities with a population of 5,000 or less.
To date, about 100 communities in British Columbia, Manitoba, Quebec and Nova Scotia have implemented AFC strategies or launched the process. Communities in other jurisdictions are interested and projects are in various stages of development, says Louise Plouffe, manager of knowledge development for PHAC’s Division of Aging and Seniors.
Although Ontario is not fully engaged in the initiative and has not provided funding, encouragement and expert resources have been provided by the Ontario Seniors Secretariat to communities that want to become age friendly, including Hamilton.
“Why do it? Because of the aging population,’’ says Plouffe. “2011 is a watershed year when the first of the baby boomers turn 65 and when the seniors boom officially begins. By 2030, close to one in four people in the population will be a senior … but many communities are not fully adapted to needs and capacity of large adult population.’’
Communities that become age friendly will benefit seniors and many others, says Plouffe.
“In all ways they will become more accessible and more inclusive for persons with a disability and families with young children who will benefit from better transportation, clean safe streets and walking areas with better places to sit in public.
“Everyone wants accessible washrooms that are clean and well maintained, and opportunities for generations to come together. This initiative really and truly benefits the whole community,” says Plouffe.
The AFC model helps seniors, businesses, services and municipal planners to assess “age friendliness” using eight categories of community living that reflect the determinants of health. These are: outdoor spaces and buildings; transportation; housing; social participation; respect and social inclusion; civic participation and employment; communication and information and community and health services.
Once in place, various improvements encourage healthy aging by improving and preserving people’s health, physical, social and mental wellness, independence and quality of life. They also enable seniors to engage in community work post-retirement; develop new meaningful social relationships, such as when a spouse passes away.
For more information on Canada and the Age-Friendly Cities Project, visit: phac-aspc.gc.ca.
HAVE YOU GOT a story on a community feature that is particularly age-unfriendly? Email dwall@metroland.com and we’ll publish a list, putting pressure on community planners to improve our towns and cities.
