Jason Unrau
Northern News Services

Inuvik (June 10/05) - Last Friday afternoon Mayor Peter Clarkson voluntarily gave up the use of his legs and experienced life in Inuvik from a different perspective.

"This really makes you realize how long things can take," he said from the confines of a wheelchair. "You really lose your independence. I was lucky the places I went were accessible."

Those places included the bank, post office and Sir Alexander Mackenzie school (SAMS), where Clarkson spoke to students about the challenges he faced during the afternoon.

The event coincided with National Awareness Week for Persons with Disabilities.

"We would like to see better legislation that requires all GNWT facilities to be accessible and government funding to support that," said Cecily Hewitt, executive director for the NWT Council of Persons with Disabilities, who applauded Clarkson for his efforts at raising awareness of mobility issues in Inuvik.

Federal legislation dictates that its facilities be wheelchair accessible but the Northwest Territories does not have any such guidelines for its government buildings.

"Social issues do not seem to be the focus of this government, economic issues seem to be the thrust," said Hewitt, adding that the Northwest Territories are "indeed behind the times," with respect to the rest of the country, in terms of mandating accessibility to its facilities.

Closer to home, Inuvik has been proactive in addressing this issue. Town hall, the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex and new Family Centre are outfitted with ramps and lifts, which allow access to every area of those buildings.

As well, through its zoning bylaws, the town requires that local businesses provide handicap parking spaces.

After visiting with SAMS students and going about an "average daily routine," that included stops to pick up mail and then do his banking, it was off to the Family Centre for the mayor and his helper-for-the-day Ray Massey, manager of the Billy Moore Community Group Home for physically and mentally disabled adults.

"There's a lot of places in town that aren't accessible," said Massey, while pushing Clarkson up the ramp at the Family Centre.

"We don't mean to pick on people but this will be one of the main focuses of this new committee (for persons with disabilities)."

Its first meeting was held Monday evening at Ingamo Hall. Massey says the committee's future efforts will be trying to raise more awareness about mobility issues and affecting some change in the community.

Back in Yellowknife, Hewitt is hopeful about such advocacy.

"We are constantly trying to encourage private businesses to cater to this segment of the population," she said. "And we're getting a lot of positive feedback from those who have taken the initiative. They tell us that business has improved after making (their places accessible)."

Hewitt also noted that such measures were not exclusively for the wheelchair bound but all people with mobility issues.

"Somebody with arthritis is not going to want to go somewhere they have to climb steps."

After negotiating the change rooms and taking a dip in the Family Centre's aquatic wheelchair, which can be easily rolled down a ramp into the pool, Clarkson gave the centre's new $5,000 lift a try.

Accustomed to controls

It took a moment for him to get accustomed to the controls, but soon Clarkson was in the pool, enjoying the water.

Observing the test-run was occupational therapist Tania Barone from the rehabilitation department of Inuvik Regional Health and Social Services.

"I think there are some limitations and you'd have to be pretty independent (to come alone) in this situation," she said. "Somebody who's completely incapacitated would need some one-on-one assistance."

Pool manager Bobby DesPres agreed.

"When we have extra staff we could offer assistance but we'd encourage (mobility challenged) people to come with somebody."