Seniors' Focus Projects
The Abbotsford Social Development Advisory Committee’s (ASDAC) Measuring Up Working aspires to encourage an age friendly City that adapts its supports and services to be accessible to citizens and seniors with varying needs and capacities.
During the past year the Senior’s Sub-Committee initiated several projects funded by UBCM and in partnership with UCFV, City of Abbotsford, Abbotsford Community Services, and Seniors Healthy Aging Resource Environment Society.
During the last several years the Centre For Education and Research on Aging (CERA) at University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) conducted numerous seniors’ studies. A primary concern has been transportation options and availability of services for seniors and persons with disabilities.
In 2007-2008, UFV and its partners conducted a Mobility Scooter Research Project with funding from the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM). This research project looked at the use of mobility scooters and developed a set of recommendations and draft guidelines that will help establish a policy framework and educational programs in scooter use.
The recommendations from CERA at UFV concluded that:
- Mobility scooter and powered wheelchairs maintain the current status as a pedestrian.
- Municipalities in the eastern Fraser Valley investigate the possibility of a bylaw that will set the speed limit on sidewalks at 8 kph.
- Communities undertake a pilot project to test the efficiency and effectiveness of a scooter user registration system based on the users’ need for scooter use.
- Implementation of the Scooter Smart Education program.
- Local governments request their Transportation Advisory Committees to advise local municipalities on creating walkable and scooter friendly communities with specific attention to the improvement of sidewalks.
- Local governments commission further research on multi-use bicycle lanes to include mobility scooters, powered wheelchairs.
- A system of collecting accident and incidents reports of scooters be developed by law enforcement and insurance agencies.
- Research on mobility scooters be expanded to include other communities in B.C.
The City of Abbotsford also received funding from the UBCM for the Abbotsford Seniors’ Transportation Initiative (ASTI). ASTI’s goal is to contribute to the improvements of our existing transportation system making it more accessible and inclusive of seniors and the disabled with varying needs.
The Abbotsford Seniors’ Transportation Initiative (ASTI) consists of four components: Bus Buddies, Adopt-A-Stop, Medical Transportation, and Model Bus Stop. ASTI will offer alternatives to our existing transportation system so that it is more responsive to the mobility concerns of seniors and the disabled in our community.
Abbotsford Community Services will implement Bus Buddies, Medical Transportation, and Adopt-A-Stop. The ASTI Steering Committee will oversee the Model Bus Stop Design Competition. One Hundred Volunteers will be recruited to implement the ASTI.
Lastly, UBCM provided funding to explore how we can include seniors as we begin to implement Neighborhood Associations. The rational around this project is “creating a community within each neighborhood”.
Conclusion:
Previous studies conducted by the City and the University the Fraser Valley highlighted the importance of mobility and access for seniors and people living with disabilities.
The Mobility Scooter Research Project concluded that scooters and powered wheelchairs enhance user’s quality of life by allowing them to participate in daily living activities, maintain their independence and take part in social activities.
ASTI offers alternatives to our existing transportation system so that it is more responsive to the mobility concerns of seniors and the disabled in our community. ASTI will make it safer and easier for seniors to access health services and social /recreational opportunities by using our public transit system. ASTI will promote volunteerism and cultivate strategies that would facilitate easier and more reliable transportation for our seniors by recruiting one hundred volunteers.
The Neighborhood Association Initiative will facilitate groups of seniors in our community that will give a sense of creating a community within each of our neighborhoods.
Overall the City of Abbotsford has taken some big steps and immense measures to ensure that it is an age friendly community that adapts its supports and services to be accessible to citizens and seniors with varying needs and capacities.