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With a grant from 2010 Legacies Now, the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) plans to review accessibility issues that go far beyond access ramps, wheelchair-enabled transit or priority parking.
The “Measuring Up” program promotes inclusion for persons with disabilities and others including seniors, parents with baby carriages, tourists loaded down with luggage, and people with injuries.
In a town that prides itself on being a tourist Mecca, yet one that needs to diversify its base of visitors, improving accessibility makes economic sense. The idea of doing everything we can to improve the guest experience for aging baby boomers and people with physical challenges (permanent or temporary) is a no-brainer.
When it comes to the Paralympics, focusing on accessibility and inclusion is simply part of the process of putting on a great Games. Consider also the increasing number of people with disabilities who’ve chosen to make Whistler their home, and add in our annual local count of walking wounded from adventure-oriented activities.
Sarah Tipler, Whistler’s Measuring Up coordinator, says the community needs to look beyond helping people get from point A to B. “It’s a cultural shift, a shift in attitudes and perceptions across the board, from arts and culture to education to the built environment,” she says.
Tipler say the cultural shift will give us a better understanding how we should relate to a person with a visible physical disability, including things as simple as being more aware of when to offer help. It’s also little things like being aware that small printing on a menu may make information inaccessible for a growing number of people.
Before coming to Whistler, Tipler was a self-proclaimed “Nerd Wrangler” at a software games company. She planned for a one-year timeout working a couple of jobs and riding the big mountains, but like many she stayed for years “living the life.”
Eight years ago, a backcountry avalanche changed the equation for Sarah by introducing a wheelchair into her life.
She says it has taken some time and it’s been a process to re-educate herself, but she adds that there’s be an upside to the experience. “I’m doing work now that is far more purposeful than in my previous life,” she sayd.
It was great to have carefree jobs and live the snowboard lifestyle for a time, she says adding, “You do want to go beyond what you know, to find my niche and become content with what my contribution is.
“It’s allowed me to really focus on what I’m committed to and I’m much happier,” she says, adding that her work now is about creating a happy healthy community that everybody can be involved in as little or as much as they like.
Tipler’s personal adventure continues from rock climbing, kayaking and cross-country skiing, but at the same time she enjoys working in her garden. In the Sea to Sky corridor, her presence will help people grow a bit where it comes to being inclusive.
