By Roy Wood, Special to the Times Chronicle
Osoyoos council has green lighted more than $30,000 worth of projects proposed by the town’s Accessibility and Age Friendly Committee aimed at making the town easier to navigate and more enjoyable for folks with mobility issues.
A report to council this week outlined several projects the committee proposes using the budget of $35,650 for 2024. The bulk of the funding comes from a $25,000 grant from the Social Planning and Research Council (SPARC) of BC.
One of them will see a 75-foot-long galvanized steel hand railing along the portion of the canal trail that slopes steeply up from the main level toward the industrial area. The cost of the railing is estimated at $12,000.
The most ambitious proposal involves a pair of electric tricycles, which will be available free of charge to people who wouldn’t otherwise be able to enjoy cycling in the outdoors.
According to the report, the program will see “an able-bodied person drive the trike and one or two people with accessibility needs could sit in the back.”
Several details remain to be ironed out with the service provider, Sessions Outdoor Sports, including ongoing ownership and storage of the trikes. As well, the report cited several insurance and liability issues that would need to be addressed and worked out before the program could be implemented.
The tricycle proposal is akin to “Cycling With Age,” a national program that has branches in Kelowna, Vernon and Penticton. The report says, “Administration will reach out to them to seek advice on how it was established and if it’s been a successful program.”
According to its website, Cycling Without Age Canada works with local chapters “to enhance the quality of life for all Canadians one bicycle ride at a time. … (so that) Every Canadian has the opportunity to feel the wind in their hair.”
Another $2,500 is budgeted for a so-called hearing loop in the town’s council chambers. It will “improve and enhance the ability for people who wear hearing aids. Administration has contacted a local company, and they will need to do a site visit to provide a quote for purchase and installation of a loop system.”
According to the website of Hearing Link Services, “A hearing loop (HL) …is a special type of sound system for use by people with hearing aids.”
An audio source is linked to an amplifier, which processes the signal, which is then sent through the final piece, the loop cable.
According to the website, “In its simplest form, this is a wire placed around the perimeter of a specific area i.e. a church or a small meeting room.”
Town council reviewed the proposal at Tuesday (Sept. 10) morning’s Committee of the Whole meeting and referred it to the afternoon regular meeting, where it was unanimously approved.
