Dryden resident Mark Wherrett shakes hands with Kenora MP Greg Rickford at the End of Day celebration for the Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary Relay. Photo by Ally Dunham

By Chris Marchand

In the 25 years since Rick Hansen’s Man In Motion World Tour, local wheelchair athlete and accessibility advocate Mark Wherrett says Dryden has come a long way in regards to barrier-free access for disabled people in the community.

Wherrett was chosen to carry the Rick Hansen medal, wheeling the final leg of the relay as it arrived at the Dryden Regional Cultural and Training Centre, Jan. 12.

Wherrett says he’s admired Hansen since he was a young man, citing him as an inspiration.

“I was inspired by his athletic ability as a wheelchair basketball player,” says Wherrett. “I was new to the chair and I saw someone who could do some incredible things in a wheelchair. It made me want to be that kind of athlete. He was one of those guys. When he did his tour, I was amazed that there were doubters. For me, who competed against Rick in wheelchair sports, I knew there was no way he wouldn’t do it. As people with disabilities find out, it just takes time to do things.”

Wherrett lost the use of his legs in a spinal injury at the age of 20, since that time Wherrett has worked with the Canadian Paraplegic Association and acted as a consultant and advocate for barrier-free access in the community.

Accessibility was a poignant topic for Dryden’s mobility-challenged community last week as both the city and the Dryden Observer heard from residents frustrated with snow removal efforts from the city’s downtown — most notably downtown snow banks that block access to curb cuts, or present difficulties for vehicles to unload disabled passengers.

Wherrett says weather conditions can make an accessible town, inaccessible in a hurry, though he adds that those who use mobility devices to get around need to have reasonable expectations.

“It’s more than just wheelchairs that are slowed down by snow and ice,” he said. “I think a person has to realize that the town has a job to do — it has to make itself accessible for emergencies, for vehicles to get to work. I would love to see the sidewalks are plowed down to the cement, but I think it’s unreasonable that it get done the next day.”

Wherrett says the past 25 years have seen institutions embrace accessibility as a ethic to guide building design.

“As far as all access to public buildings are concerned I think Dryden’s done well,” said Wherrett. “Curb cuts? Thirty-five years ago when I was in a chair there was no such thing. Today, there aren’t too many places I can’t go, depending on the weather conditions, but I think that’s reasonable. The Centre is a perfect example of what can happen if the accessibility group is considered. The school boards have done incredible things to their schools and should be applauded for their efforts. The City of Dryden is the same.”