Reply from City about Store Closing
Sunday, January 18, 2009
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I got a reply from a city councillor who basically said there was nothing council could do to stop a business decision. I saw red. Of course they can't legally PREVENT them from making a business decision, but the City Council can still DO something.
The councillor also said that the city was hoping to [reverse the trend that you are noting in your message]. So... here is my reply:
I just have one question about reversing the trend. When? I am losing my independence because of statements like this.
The city is not helpless. You have some control over bullies like Loblaws. The city council can publically cite the AODA, ask questions when they submit a site plan, ask Kingston Transit to add a bus stop at the new location, cite the Human Rights code when they talk about hiring a non-accessible bus to provide free service to everyone else. The media publishes the hot button topics in Kingston so if council regularily and consistently asks questions out loud about the accessibility of what they're approving, and sending them back to the drawing board if it does not meet the test, accessibility will start to become part of every day parlance and be included in the checklist for things to consider when creating a plan. Reliance on it being written in a report won't help because not everyone will be reading the documents that go before council.
As it stands now,disability is related to the financial hit for the taxpayer. City pressure on No Frills hiring an accessible bus could have potentially saved the city the cost of subsidizing an Access Bus fare.
The same goes for the taxi commission and the lack of accessible taxi's. Instead of upping the ante from $10,000 to $35,000 for the taxi commission, when one has already been done by a summer student a few years ago, push them a little. Offer to give them a percentage of KAB passengers and subsidize the cost. Passengers using manual wheelchairs, are ambulatory, use small power wheelchairs, or walkers, can get into a taxi. If the subsidy for our bus fare goes to the taxi company instead of to servicing and fueling those big buses, it might accomplish a lot. It is not ideal, but it got the accessible taxi cabs onto the road in many other communities.
As for No Frills moving and a free Non-accessible bus being added, it upsets me that the public seems to feel that the disabled don't need to be accommodated on that free bus. I pay over $160 a month in bus fares between the 2 services now. I also waste 3 or 4 hours to get to and from a store in the west end of Kingston only to, at times, come home empty handed because a store is sold out or the aisle was too crowded for me to pass through.
The city could fix the crowded aisle problem real quick by just enforcing the fire code in the stores that are so crowded. The fire code numbers are wide enough for a wheelchair so, if it was done, it would allow us to return to being able to shop independently.
For now I will pay the additional $18 per month to go shopping once a week because I have no other choice.
Please read my other blogs:
Transit: http://wheelchairdemon-transit.blogspot.com
Health Care: http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com
The councillor also said that the city was hoping to [reverse the trend that you are noting in your message]. So... here is my reply:
I just have one question about reversing the trend. When? I am losing my independence because of statements like this.
The city is not helpless. You have some control over bullies like Loblaws. The city council can publically cite the AODA, ask questions when they submit a site plan, ask Kingston Transit to add a bus stop at the new location, cite the Human Rights code when they talk about hiring a non-accessible bus to provide free service to everyone else. The media publishes the hot button topics in Kingston so if council regularily and consistently asks questions out loud about the accessibility of what they're approving, and sending them back to the drawing board if it does not meet the test, accessibility will start to become part of every day parlance and be included in the checklist for things to consider when creating a plan. Reliance on it being written in a report won't help because not everyone will be reading the documents that go before council.
As it stands now,disability is related to the financial hit for the taxpayer. City pressure on No Frills hiring an accessible bus could have potentially saved the city the cost of subsidizing an Access Bus fare.
The same goes for the taxi commission and the lack of accessible taxi's. Instead of upping the ante from $10,000 to $35,000 for the taxi commission, when one has already been done by a summer student a few years ago, push them a little. Offer to give them a percentage of KAB passengers and subsidize the cost. Passengers using manual wheelchairs, are ambulatory, use small power wheelchairs, or walkers, can get into a taxi. If the subsidy for our bus fare goes to the taxi company instead of to servicing and fueling those big buses, it might accomplish a lot. It is not ideal, but it got the accessible taxi cabs onto the road in many other communities.
As for No Frills moving and a free Non-accessible bus being added, it upsets me that the public seems to feel that the disabled don't need to be accommodated on that free bus. I pay over $160 a month in bus fares between the 2 services now. I also waste 3 or 4 hours to get to and from a store in the west end of Kingston only to, at times, come home empty handed because a store is sold out or the aisle was too crowded for me to pass through.
The city could fix the crowded aisle problem real quick by just enforcing the fire code in the stores that are so crowded. The fire code numbers are wide enough for a wheelchair so, if it was done, it would allow us to return to being able to shop independently.
For now I will pay the additional $18 per month to go shopping once a week because I have no other choice.
Please read my other blogs:
Transit: http://wheelchairdemon-transit.blogspot.com
Health Care: http://wheelchairdemon-health.blogspot.com
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