Accessibility at H.G.R. Mews Community Centre
I was recently invited to the new H.G.R. Mews Community Centre in St. John’s next to Mundy Pond. This new community centre opened last fall and a lot of thought was put into making it a very inclusive space for the city, so I wanted to go there and check out all of the accessibility features they have to offer. I have to say, I was incredibly impressed by the level of inclusion and accessibility throughout the building and surrounding property. Here are the accessibility features at H.G.R. Mews: Jumpstart Inclusive Playground At over 11,000 square feet, this is the largest inclusive play space in St. John’s welcoming kids of all abilities to play. The play space was built using universal
The 2 Cards You Should Own as a Disabled Person in YYT
Let’s talk about the 2 important cards that disabled residents of YYT should have in our wallets – the City of St. John’s Attendant Pass and the Easter Seals Access 2 Card. These cards will definitely be helpful to you if you’re disabled and need someone with you when attending events or visiting public places. As a mobility aid user who doesn’t drive and who needs help with a variety of different things throughout my day, especially when away from the safety of my home, these cards have been a game changer for me. The City of St. John’s Attendant Pass An Attendant Pass enables an attendant or support worker to accompany an individual requiring support to activities and/or events
Drift Away Suite at Twillingate & Beyond
Last summer I headed to Twillingate for a little staycation. I was invited by the owner of Twillingate & Beyond to stay in their gorgeous, wheelchair-friendly Drift Away Suite. I had such a wonderful, comfortable two night stay and was able to provide the owners with some accessibility feedback so they could make some small changes to enhance the experience for other wheelchair users. I call this suite wheelchair-friendly because it met most of my access needs as a wheelchair user, but I did recognize some barriers that might exist for other wheelchair users. The suite was nestled in the back of this beautiful yellow building in the hub of downtown Twillingate. The front of the building also houses an Artisan
An Accessible Luxury Picnic in the Park with Newfound Picnics
Today my husband and I headed to Bowring Park to have a romantic picnic lunch date hosted by an awesome new local business called Newfound Picnics (which is owned by a very nice couple named Heather and Josh). A few months back, Heather reached out to me asking for some ideas for accessible picnic locations in the St. John’s area. She told me that making her business accessible was very important to her, as she also lives with a disability and wants to ensure everyone is able to enjoy the experience. Side note: I am thrilled to be able to write about a cool local business that is owned by a woman with a disability! So when it came time
Alt Hotel
Last summer I needed a change of scenery when I was laid up in bed with a really bad back. I decided I would rather spend a night laying in a hotel bed looking out at the harbour, so I headed to Alt Hotel to check it out. I had already heard good things about their accessibility, and the pics I saw online of the lobby and rooms looked so dreamy. I was not disappointed! It was beautiful and cozy, and I had such a relaxing night not very far from home. For anyone interested in going for a (mostly) accessible staycation at the Alt hotel, here is a list of accessibility features you will find there: – There is
Social Media Accessibility Guide
1. IMAGE DESCRIPTIONS Whenever you post a photo to Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram you can add image descriptions so those who are blind or have low vision can be a part of the full conversation. There are 2 ways to do this for each social media platform. Facebook: 1. At the end of the actual post that you are drafting you should make a space and then write out a full image description. This is beneficial to people with low vision that do not use screen readers. Your description would look something like this: Image Description: This is where you describe what is happening in the photo, be detailed but don’t make it incredibly long. 2. You should add an