accessibleniagara.com About this Site

I am severely disabled with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a fairly rare neuromuscular disorder (see linda@lindacrabtree.com and see the CMT News section) and I've gone the gamut in my 67 years from braces on orthopedic boots to a cane, then two canes, a walker and then a wheelchair and electric scooter. I use a scooter exclusively now, indoors and out. My shoulders are shot from lifting my body, so I even take my scooter into most restaurants and have found it easy to sit on while eating. My hands are extremely weak and my nervous system is compromised so I don't tolerate loud noise including loud music very well, and odours, especially strong perfume can do me in. I'm forever thankful that all restaurants in Niagara are non-smoking environments and people are beginning to realize that a lot of perfume isn't publicly acceptible. I've also had double cataract surgery. But, I laugh when anyone looks at me with pity because I may sound like I'm in pretty bad shape but really, I manage just fine, thank you. My disability hasn't stopped me from living, and, yes, I still like to get out, do things and be as active as possible. I also know firsthand how hard it can be when you don't have the information and detail you need to truly plan ahead when you want to go somewhere, be it to a local restaurant or thousands of miles away from home. And, I've visited and know well most of the places on this website as Niagara has been my home all of my life. My husband and I live in St. Catharines, less than 20 minutes from Niagara Falls and we drive all over the Niagara Peninsula instead of taking vacations away from home. I guess you'd say we truly love and appreciate the beautiful part of the world we live in and we'd like to share it with you, particularly if you are mobility impaired.

Accessibleniagara.com will not only introduce you to our lovely peninsula but you'll find detail here you can't find elsewhere. We who are disabled know that the word "accessible" means little if it isn't accompanied by detail. Canada doesn't yet have legislation similar to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the U.S.A. but it's coming. There is no set criteria in Canada for access to hotels, restaurants, anywhere, except government buildings. Accessibility in Canada is up to the people who develop the hotel, the chain that builds the restaurant, the entrepreneur who develops the attraction. That's why detail is so important. Anyone can say their place of business is accessible and when you get there you find a six inch step at the entrance. We've all heard the line, "Yes, our business is accessible, there are only a few small steps at the front." We know those few steps might as well be a mountain. To people who walk, they are nothing. When doing the phone survey to find out about accessible hotel rooms, my assistant, Eileen, asked one front desk employee how many rooms in their hotel were accessible. Her answer was something like, "All of them, the elevator starts at the first floor." We have a lot of work to do.

We haven't measured everything, everywhere, it doesn't make sense, and we'd simply never get this site up it takes so much time and energy but we have looked at Niagara from the perspective of a person with severe disability. Nothing is written in stone, anything can be changed and we'll update this site as dates change, attractions evolve and accessibility improves.

If there's something we don't have on this site, please get in touch with me via e-mail and I'll do my best to find what you need. In the meantime, please keep logging on. We have many categories and many, many places to see, things to do, and great stuff to experience for you in Niagara and it's all accessible.

Every year during National Access Awareness Week, the Ontaro March of Dimes, South Region, holds a celebration to acknowledge those who have removed barriers during the year. Awards are given out and the AccessibleNiagara.com award that recognizes those who go above and beyond to bring about accessible tourism are recognized. In 2005 the award went to Betty's Restaurant; in 2006 it went to the Maid of the Mist, in 2007 to the Niagara Parks Commission for the Butterfly Conservatory and in 2008 to the Greg Frewin Theatre. All of the award winners are in Niagara Falls.