National AccessAbility Week paves the way for Medicine Hat inclusivity, city says

Blaire Bohnet, City of Medicine Hat manager of facilities management, said accessibility is varied and broad for everybody.

He said it’s important to have an awareness about our attitudes on accessibility.

“Accessibility ranges from everything, right from the very beginning,” he said.

“From signage, the fonts that are used on signage, it could be anything from the physical pathways, barrier-free pathways,” he added.

“Things such as visual or hearing impairment. It also includes things such as sensory deprivation rooms.”

At Athletic Park, the city has added handrails for this season that help people securely walk up and down the stairs.

Bohnet said the city plans to add similar handrails at the Esplanade Arts and Heritage Centre and the Kinplex arena.

The city has also, through various projects in the past, upgraded the seating level on the field — which has an accessible lift so people can access the field and enjoy the game at a lower level.

Bohnet said the city is committed to access for all of its residents.

“We want to make sure that people have a positive user experience and that everybody is able to participate in our facilities,” he said.

Bohnet said the city has a lot of infrastructure upgrades that are always being worked on, and older infrastructure that is being modified.

“Last year, we had $700,000 committed to accessibility upgrades in our facilities,” he said.

Bohnet said that included improvements such as universal change rooms and washrooms at the Hill Pool, the Kinplex and the Moose Recreation Centre.

He said the city completed over $150,000 worth of modifications to recreation facility washrooms and seasonal park washrooms.

Bohnet said the city will also be continuing with accessibility projects at the Gas City Campground on the off-season.

Bohnet said the City of Medicine Hat is committed to access for all of its residents. Ross Lavigne/CHAT News

Larry Fuchs is part of a group at REDI Enterprises Society called TAG, or The Action Group, who advocate for accessibility for those with disabilities.

Fuchs said non-intersection crosswalks in the city are not designed well, because a driver’s line of sight doesn’t meet with the pedestrian signals.

He said the clearing of snow off of residential sidewalks in the winter should also be better enforced by the city.

“They’re poorly cleaned or not cleaned at all, and people have got difficulty going through them. Even people who are on two feet,” he said.

Fuchs is part of the TAG group, who advocate for accessibility for those with disabilities. Kevin Kyle/CHAT News

Joe Dolan is also part of the TAG group, and said restaurants at times don’t have a layout that considers those in wheelchairs.

He said the city needs to improve services such as special transit.

“Extend their hours for the buses, for people who go out on the bus who have a certain amount of time on the buses, but they’ve got to be back at a certain time,” he said.

Dolan said the city needs to improve services such as special transit. Kevin Kyle/CHAT News

The TAG group plans to bring forward a proposal to city council to further improve infrastructure in the city for those with disabilities.

Bohnet said the city works closely with a consulting group for accessibility and inclusion, and works to prioritize their concerns to include it in budgets.

He said the city is always looking at doing improvements while it’s enhancing the infrastructure as well, trying to improve accessibility at the same time as working on projects.

“We also perform regular audits on our facilities,” he said.

“We’re just going through a process right now of auditing our facilities in preparation for the 2026 Special Olympics, and that’s going to have a legacy effect for our community going forward.”

Bohnet said it’s a “tremendous requirement” in the community for everyone to feel welcome and that they can contribute and participate at every facility and venue.

He said the city is always open to input from the public, which can be provided at any time.

by Jayk Sterkenburg

National AccessAbility Week paves the way for Medicine Hat inclusivity, city says

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