Accessibility & the need for improvement in my community

When it comes to living with any type of disability there is no doubt that accessibility within our own communities is very important. Unfortunately, where I live, I still face major obstacles related to inaccessibility. Surprisingly, even many of the newer buildings in my community are not set up to properly to deal with the unique issues some of us might face. That is why I believe that there is a major need for improvement in my community when it comes to accessibility.   

Currently at this stage of my life and living with Becker's Muscular Dystrophy I do not require the use of a wheelchair or mobility scooter. Now some time's the issues I face on a daily basis are pretty small and others are easily resolved, but from time to time I do face issues that I simply shouldn't have to. Some which really surprise me. One issue I recently ran into was at a local shopping centre which for some reason turned two large sized accessible parking spaces into four much smaller one's, resulting in them being the exact size of regular parking spots. Doing this eliminated the extra space so many of us with disabilities need just to get out of our vehicles safely. Even worse, what about those who use wheelchairs and drive specially equipped vehicles with lifts or ramps? The only excuse I can think of is that someone wasn’t thinking.

You see a big part of the problem is that for some accessibility seems to be an afterthought. I've even found accessible parking spaces in my community where the curb cut is directly in front of the vehicle, making it next to impossible for anyone to use. Ask anyone with mobility issues and they will tell you that these curb cuts are very important. Unfortunately, when it comes to curb cuts at some plazas they are non-existent or simply places that force us to go out of our way. All I can say is that someone cities including mine  needs to do a better job of educating people on the subject of accessibility.