At left, Access BC’s Nancy Harris measuring pathway widths in the David Douglas Botanical Garden at UNBC with Dr. Mark Groulx, associate professor in the School of Environmental Planning, UNBC. Photo Courtesy: UNBC

By Veronica Beltran

accesible parks

UNBC Professors participate in collaborative effort to make B.C.’s outdoors more accessible

Aug 19, 2020 | 6:00 AM

PRINCE GEORGE—Several UNBC professors have been working to make outdoor spaces across the province more accessible to British Columbians.

The research is being supported with a $24,000 Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Partnership Engage grant. The professors, Drs. Mark Groulx, Shannon Freeman and Pamela Wright have been working collaboratively with Spinal Cord Injury BC’s Access BC team to create more barrier free destinations in the province.

“We live in a province, and a country, that has some of the most magnificent natural environments.”—Dr. Mark Groulx, Associate Professor, UNBC School of Environmental Planning

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“The essence of this research really looks at whether or not all members of society have equitable access and opportunity to experience these amazing spaces,” adds Groulx.

Visits to outdoor tourist destinations and recreation sites across B.C. were made in conjunction with the ongoing work by Access BC to collect data on accessibility needs.

“As researchers, we are trying to use our tools to help further improve their processes and efficiencies, and hopefully help build capacity for them so that they can do more of the great work that they do.”—Shannon Freeman, Associate Professor, School of Nursing, UNBC

The audits conducted take a look at many potential barriers to accessibility such as, wide paths, slopes of trails, gaps between grates, and heights of washroom sinks and toilets.

“We have to think about equity all the way through the experience a visitor might have, from the early stages of deciding what they want out of a trip to when they actually arrive and use things like pathways, buildings, washrooms, shorelines, docks and other infrastructure,” says Wright, an associate professor, Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Management, Ecosystem Science and Management Program, UNBC.

“These efforts have been critically bolstered by our research partners at UNBC, who bring unique content expertise, skills and insights to the initiative. The new tools, evidence, and content developed through this partnership are serving to expedite our collective work to enhance access and inclusion of park spaces for all.”—Chris McBride, PhD, Executive Director, Spinal Cord Injury BC

Access BC also ensures that certain site information can be found online for visitors to determine whether or not a site will meet their needs, prior to a visit. The research has led to the development of a new digital tool that aims at helping Access BC in further streamlining of processes and collation of data for reports that can be shared with recreational, municipal and tourism stakeholders as part of ongoing discussions around accessibility and potential planning for space upgrades.