Many called, few stepped up

By Christy Marsters

The Hants Journal

NovaNewsNow.com

Few dared to take the Hants County Community Access Network’s challenge June 1.

Only five participates attempted living with a simulated mobile, visual or hearing impairment that day to help promote Access Awareness Week (May 31 to June 6) and create a better understanding for those with barriers.

Branch Manager Chadwick Langille of the Royal Bank in Windsor offered to take on a mobile impairment for a full day (from 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and he spent much of this day in staff meetings and doing office work. “This was a good lesson,” Langille noted. “The experience was great because, when clients came in, it was nice to say what was up with the wheelchair,” Langille said. “Still, everyone looked at me a bit differently. “Doing something like this gives you great experience for the challenges people face in everyday life,” Langille said. “You need to be able to look at things from a different perspective. There are things easy to do, but it is not always easy for everyone to do them.”

Going up stairs was simply impossible and it was hard to believe how difficult it was even to move around within a small office space, Langille said. “I had to get someone to heat up my lunch and give it to me (because the lunchroom was upstairs). Plus it was hard just using the washroom. It gave me new appreciations and realizations.”

MLA was hearing impaired

Hants West MLA Chuck Porter spent part of his day June 1 (from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.) with a simulated full hearing impairment. He spent his time campaigning around the Walton area in preparation for an upcoming election (that has since past) June 9. “It was interesting because I’ve never been faced with a hearing impairment,” Porter said. “Trying to have a conversation with anyone was difficult. I think anyone with a hearing impairment would have to be sharp to pick up on what others were saying.”

Those living without impairment should take hats off to those who do, Porter noted. “They (people with impairments) have to take the time to find a new way. I saw, on June 1, how fortunate many others and I are. I was so happy to be asked to do this.” ‘A humbling experience’: Richard Cole

Richard Cole, owner of Tommy Guns Speakeasy Lounge, also experienced living with a mobile impairment (from noon to 6 p.m.). He spent his day doing paperwork at the office, but also took a bit of a break for a first-time stroll around Lake Pisiquid. “I took a trip around the causeway and it was tiring; it was really hard,” Cole said. “It took about an hour-and-a-half.”

Much more effort was needed to make it over small hills, through grasses or around potholes and having to rely more on others was needed to deal with height or reach, Cole said. “It’s definitely a humbling experience. There wasn’t anything fun about it.”

Liberal candidate Paula Lunn also tested out having a partial hearing impairment for two hours June 1, as she went grocery shopping during this time. “It is so frustrating not to be able to hear,” she said. “At the Superstore, people had talked to me and I hadn’t heard. “This whole experience made me much more aware. It highlighted a fact that many people do live with hidden impairments,” Lunn said. “Because I was just wearing the earplugs, I didn’t have an obvious impairment. I don’t think enough people stop and think of what people with impairments go through, but I think it would enhance society if they did. Having an impairment would test anyone’s strength of character.”