Altona's accessibility committee has begun to act on reducing barriers in the community.

Following an assessment earlier this summer, a crew spent last weekend grinding down sidewalks removing lips and other uneven spots that could be a danger or hindrance to someone with a disability or mobility issue.

According to Amy Pankewich, Chairperson for Equal Access Altona, this work was a more affordable and efficient solution to building new sidewalks.

"We were really happy to be a part of that. It would've been a missed opportunity for us if we didn't actually produce any funds for that," she added. "We're really happy to see how quickly it got done. I think it's a big improvement and we've had a lot of positive feedback."

Pankewich explained that an accessibility exercise conducted this spring served as a catalyst for this recent work.

"We got to see from the perspective of individuals who might have different needs in the community...how it's like getting around town, how it's like living daily life and being able to go to the store, the pharmacy or town office," she said.

Following that exercise, Pankewich says she was approached by Public Works Manager Clint Derksen, who also sits on the accessibility committee, about doing a sidewalk assessment. It was this assessment that pin-pointed the problem areas on Altona's walkways.

Meantime, the work isn't finished yet and Pankewich says there's a strategy in place for removing additional barriers within the community. The plan is to also use information gathered from a recent community survey when selecting and prioritizing future projects, along with factors like traffic patterns and price.

"Having a plan in place and just knowing knowing where we need to start and where we'll end up finishing is a huge first step," said Pankewich.

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