Heidi MacDonald
Guest Opinion
Hitting the road has not been easy for me lately. As a woman who uses a power wheelchair, I’m sad to say I have been verbally harassed and, in one incident, almost killed by a motorist.
Last week, I was trying to cross from Beach Grove Road across North River Road to the sidewalk.
It was between 3:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. It was raining, but still quite bright in the day. I was at the crosswalk waiting to cross. The car in the lane to my left had stopped to let me go. As I always do, I gave the driver a wave and made eye contact. I did the same with the driver in the other lane.
I was mistaken in thinking the driver in the white SUV had acknowledged me.
As I reached the middle of the crosswalk, I saw the van was coming toward me ... not stopping.
The driver’s front tire came very close to hitting the footrests on my chair.
I swerved to avoid a serious accident. I sat there in the middle of the road as the SUV kept going. The driver did not stop. I don’t know yet if the driver had seen me.
I did file a report with Charlottetown city police. I didn’t get a plate number. The vehicle was travelling too fast for me to get it. I did get other details.
We need better signage and perhaps a “walk light” at this crosswalk. I have contacted public works officials and city council regarding this, and I have made some suggestions as to how public highways can be made safer for islanders with disabilities.
Keep in mind, I was in a crosswalk ... exactly where I supposed to be! I was using my chair’s lights. I have reflectors on my chair, and a neon flag.
Motorists and wheelchair users share an equal responsibility in keeping everyone safe on our roads. The “rules” are often unclear. The first rule I follow on the road is: Drive wherever I am safest.
Sometimes the sidewalk is not the safest place for a wheelchair user. The sidewalk may not be fit. Many times, I have been in situations where sidewalks have been obstructed, or don’t have a curb cut to allow access.
Please know the sidewalk is not always an option. Some bus stops do not have a curb cut. This means I often have to cross to the other side of a busy street to find one. There may not be a light or crosswalk to use.
Recently, I had another interaction with an unhappy motorist while I was leaving Walmart.
I was driving my chair on the side of the road near what used to be The Garden Center area.
A woman driving her car pulled up alongside me. She yelled and swore at me to get on the sidewalk. I was taken aback. Admittedly I took the bait, and I responded in kind.
Sometimes, “Thanks for your suggestion,” doesn’t fit.
The driver pulled up to the stop sign and stopped her car. She got out, went around her car and starting “posturing” toward me. She had some pretty foul things to say.
I knew enough not to respond this time. I was in a parking lot and felt safe with witnesses around. Within minutes she drove off. What she may not have known was my reason for being on the road. At the end of the sidewalk, there was a significant drop, and it was not safe for me.
Please know: If a wheelchair user is on the road there is a reason.
Also, I noticed a group of Special Olympic athletes had a float in the Gold Cup and Saucer Parade and absolutely nothing was mentioned on camera. Just a shame.
I’m proud to say the majority of Islanders are extremely respectful, and helpful to wheelchair users. More than once I have been in trouble and needed “roadside assistance.” Nowhere but on P.E.I. are people more compassionate and eager to help. Coincidentally, a lot of these people are newcomers to P.E.I.
Disability often makes people uncomfortable. Period. I look at it as people being inexperienced with disability. That is changing. The more we see, the more we understand.
What a perfect time for discussion and solutions!
Heidi MacDonald is a Charlottetown resident.
