Community members toured downtown sidewalks to bring awareness to accessibility

Article originally published as “Rutland community members toured downtown sidewalks to bring awareness to accessibility” by John Hawks

July 26, 2023

NBC5

July 26 marks the 33rd anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act, or ADA, being signed into law. Community members and the Disabled Access & Advocacy of The Rutland Area toured downtown Rutland Wednesday.

“It’s an awareness event for the public, to help people understand the challenges of getting around the City of Rutland using a mobility device such as a wheelchair,” said Jessie Butterfield, of the Vermont Center for Independent Living in Rutland.

Butterfield organized the event. The first of its kind since the pandemic.

Showing challenging spots in the city for people with mobility devices and other injuries to navigate. Things like sidewalk cracks, stairs and lipped curb ramps can make maneuvering without tripping and falling difficult.

“I’m blind and also using a wheelchair,” Butterfield said. “The sidewalks are uneven in some places. I use a white cane with my power chair. Sometimes the chain will get caught in cracks, and end up jabbing me in the chest, which is not pleasant.”

Organizers hope this event will better educate the public and support awareness for how the city can better address accessibility. Some attendees tried wheelchairs to see what downtown is like to navigate.

“Some of these things, I was just trying to brute force my way up to see what it was like,” said Ethan Pepin, the transportation planner for the Rutland Regional Planning Commission. “Some of these things you could pop a wheelie on, which would tip you backward and if you’re in a wheelchair that can be a really dangerous situation”.

One improvement that already happened. The post office is now more accessible. Wheelchair users can access it through the front door. Opposed to going around like in the old space.

And the planning commission is working with the city to inventory all sidewalks to get a better idea of where improvements need to be made with the goal of making it easier for people with mobility issues to be more independent.

“If things are fixed, it will allow people to go to work, or go shopping or do whatever we want to do without wondering if something is going to go wrong,” Butterfield said.