Taya Fast

By Taya Fast

UNBC research team receives over $170,000 for accessibility project

Jun 29, 2021 | 4:28 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – BC is home to many beautiful outdoor recreational spaces, but not all of them are accessible to everyone.

Nature for all: a barrier-free Canada through standards-based practice project, includes a team of academic researchers and accessibility advocates who received a large grant to help push the project forward.

“We were successful in our Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Partnership Development Grant just under $200,000 in funding. A major focus of the grant is looking at how we can improve accessibility in outdoor tourism and recreational spaces for a person with disabilities, said UNBC School of Planning and Sustainability Associate Professor, Dr. Mark Groulx.

Groulx has been working with professors from the University of British Columbia, Wilfrid Laurier University, Thompson Rivers University and UNBC, as well as undergraduate and graduate students. Spinal Cord Injury BC has also played a large role in the project.

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Groulx added that he is excited about the diverse group that they have.

“”It is one of the things that is really special about UNBC, is the depth of the community-based research that we get to take part in. And that is all thanks to our partners,” continued Groulx.

Groulx says that they will be looking at recreation spaces around BC to identify the barriers, and help organizations set priorities to change those. Most of the spaces that will be looked at are in rural communities, however, some outdoor spaces in Prince George will be changed as well.

“”We are lucky to have, for instance, The Douglas Botanical Garden Society as a partner, and they are doing a lot of planning around a proposed expansion. We are really excited that they are keen to incorporate universal design and accessibility into that space,” said Groulx.