Going mobile

St. Vital

Daniel McIntyre

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This article was published 28/08/2024 (423 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Organizers of an upcoming mobility fair for older adults and people with disabilities are hoping to build on the success of last year’s inaugural event.

So much so that this year’s fair will be held on two separate days — Wednesday, Sept., 11 and Saturday, Sept. 21 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Sept. 11 event will be held at Cindy Klassen Recreation Complex (999 Sargent Ave.) and the Sept. 21 event will be held at Dakota Community Centre (1188 Dakota St.).

The two-day event is presented the by Green Action Centre, Transportation Options Network for Seniors, and the Manitoba League for Persons with Disabilities, with support from the Winnipeg Foundation.

The drop-in fair will include presentations, information and resources from several organizations which deal with the transportation and mobility of senior and disabled citizens, including Winnipeg Transit, Bike Winnipeg, Winnipeg Trails Association, and WRENCH.

The goal is to showcase a selection of local transportation options that seniors and those in need of mobility support can use to maintain healthy, independent and sustainable lifestyles.

“Last year, our first year, we did one event, and we felt it would be a good idea to do two this year to serve different communities,” said Sharee Hochman, senior disabled transportation co-ordinator at Green Action Centre.

“This year, we really wanted to have the reach to target more people.”

Hochman said the format is similar to a career fair, with booths for people to visit and demonstrations to try — all in line with the potential needs of the target audiences, their families and caregivers.

“Last year went really well, and we saw lots of children of older adults and health0care workers, for example. It was great to see people come out,” Hochman said.

Inclusivity is one of the driving forces behind the mobility fair which – weather permitting – will see some of its vendors stationed outside during the event. It will include demonstrations of scooters and adaptive bikes, and a Transit bus will be on-hand so attendees will be able to practise using the on-and-off ramp, if they wish.

“We find (our target audiences) often get left out of mobility planning, and we want to make sure they’re included in the process and they understand the different options available to them and not feel isolated,” Hochman said.

Anyone is welcome to attend.

“It’s significant this project is growing, and we want to continue to grow it in the future. This year, we’re featuring more vendors and people with different backgrounds to encompass both of our target groups,” she said.

“We’re excited to be able to expand.”

The Sept. 21 event will also feature Patty Wiens, who is also affectionately known as the Bicycle Mayor of Winnipeg, who will be answer questions and share her experiences.

Visit greenactioncentre.ca for more information and venue updates.