Commercial Accessibility Survey

While we work with Municipal authorities on topics like accessible parking, sidewalk maintenance and accessibility of public buildings and parks, Access Oceanside is undertaking a new initiative to survey and improve the accessibility of commercial establishments in the Oceanside Region.

With support from the Parksville Downtown Business Association, the project will start with Parksville Downtown area which serves many residents of and visitors to the Oceanside Region.  Focus will be on accessible parking, entry doors, aisle widths inside stores and the accessibility of washrooms and change rooms.  The initiative will gradually roll out to the rest of Parksville, Qualicum Beach and the rest of Oceanside.

Our surveys will be recorded on the App "AccessNow", founded in Canada and whose goal is to build a movement that celebrates access by connecting people to inclusive, welcoming places for all.  The searchable map functionality makes it easy to identify accessible service providers in our region.

The goal is not simply to survey accessibility, but to work with Oceanside business owners and their landlords to make what are sometimes small improvements to improve their accessibility.  For example, simply installing a wireless doorbell to call for assistance to enter the business is an easy way to make a business more accessible.