Helping people with mobility issues
‘I nd that people with disabilities tend to get left out’
It was nearly one year ago that Mobility Ryders, a group concerned with local mobility issues, was organized.
Allan Stevenson, a driver for Layton’s Taxi for more than 20 years, had encountered many people with mobility issues and was glad to become one of the organization’s founders. “We are an 11-member group wanting to give people with mobility issues the chance to be active in the community,” said Stevenson, 65, of truro. “We want to assist people with mobility issues and this involves helping people tap into programs o ering assistance. Educating the general public regarding speci c entities such as shopping centres, public buildings and parking lots, is important.”
A graduate of Cobequid Educational Centre during the early 1970s, Stevenson later attended Nova Scotia Teacher’s College and still later-operated his own service business locally.
“I want to help keep us going in the right direction,” he said. “I’m kind of a navigator; I work closely with Joe and Dana Andrew. We are not fundraisers – it’s as simple as caring about an icy surface problem for a senior or singling out a washroom that is not properly equipped.”
Dana, born with cerebral palsy and still with limited mobility, has been in a wheelchair for the last four years.
A 1986 graduate of Riverview High School in Coxheath, Cape Breton, Dana looks after the organization’s website.
“I find that people with disabilities tend to get left out,” said Dana, 51, of Truro. “ey become more isolated. e idea of Mobility Ryders becoming part of their lives, could mean that they could get out and participate in different activities. This could really improve their social welfare.” Dana said Mobility Ryders was studied for some time. “We were in the planning stages for two years,” she said. “We wanted to gure out how we could be e ective and provide service for people with mobility issues. It is really awesome to see our ideas starting to bloom. We’ll have been up and running for a year in May; of course, we’re still looking for new members.” Dana touched on the challenges people with disabilities face regarding certain sidewalks, crosswalks and parking lots.
“We only want to make suggestions, we have ideas and outlooks we would like to pass on. It will take time but perhaps we can put some positive ideas out there.” Joe, another key founder in Mobility Ryders along with Dana and Stevenson, is noticeably enthusiastic in discussing goals. “We want to reach out to the blind, people in wheelchairs and the elderly,” said Joe, 55. “We nd that the blind often need help in crossing the street, seniors with vision issues also need assistance. I feel we’re in the stage right now as an organization of really taking o , I just have the feeling that our plan is going to explode. Lately, people have been showing a lot more interest in what we are doing. I think people agree that it’s a good thing to make our town more accessible for people with disabilities and mobility issues.”
Joe said he has had positive talks with employees of the town of Truro, police o cers, re ghters and the general public regarding improvements for people with disabilities. “Joe is our face,” Stevenson said. “Joe is out in the public. After talking with people he’ll follow up by making contact. Joe is really getting the word out about Mobility Ryders, he is a very good spokesman.”
During his youth, Joe faced adversity.
“I was born with two holes in my heart,” he shared. “Doctors said I could never play hockey. But, I proved them wrong, I played minor hockey right up through and I was a goaltender up until age 49.”
Suffering from severe arthritis, the former environmental services worker with Colchester East Hants Health Authority, saw people at their most vulnerable.
“It seems to me there are people out there who need a voice, they need someone to
advocate for them. My wife and I, we both have mobility issues, but we want to be there for others. It’s that simple.”
e organization’s Facebook website is under Mobility Ryders.