City purchases mobi-mats to boost accessibility at events

Navigating events at city-owned properties just became a little bit easier for those with mobility challenges.

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Stratford’s accessibility advisory committee recently purchased three non-slip polyester mobi-mats to help people using mobility aids, such as wheelchairs and walkers, or those with unstable gaits have easier access to events and areas that do not have paved access.

“Our committee had been discussing the purchase of mobi-mats for outdoor events in Stratford for a number of years. We’ve seen the mobi-mats used at beaches around Ontario, and we thought there could be an application in Stratford at some of our outdoor events, specifically at the Stratford Live event. Navigating the grass has always been a challenge, as well as keeping a pathway clear enough for people with limited mobility to get and down the grass to the tent for the event,” committee chair Roger Koert said.

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“Obviously in Stratford, we don’t have much sand, but there’s other applications for them, like gravel or uneven terrain or grass. So that’s what our committee saw the need for, and we’re very happy with how they’re received so far.”

Koert noted the three mats were already used during last month’s Stratford Live, the annual three-day music and food festival along Veterans Drive.

Each mat provides wide access at five feet while varying in length at 16.5 feet, 33 feet and 50 feet, helping users remain independent while participating in these outdoor events.

“I know that for myself, as a wheelchair user, it made it a lot easier to independently participate in the (Stratford Live) event. That’s a big thing – providing people their independence and dignity and comfort,” Koert said.

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Koert said Stratford’s population roughly reflects the rest of Ontario, with around 15 per cent of residents having a disability. The purchase of the mats, he said, is not a comment on the accessibility levels of municipal properties but instead provide additional opportunities for users in the park system or at some sports venues, where navigating the grounds can be challenging due to a lack of hard surfaces.

“We want to have people enjoying the community and not stay home because of barriers,” Koert said.

The mobi-mats, he added, are part of the accessibility advisory committee’s mission and will help make it “more comfortable for people to participate in community events.”

Residents can request to use the mats at their events on municipal properties through the outdoor special events page on the city’s website. There’s a wide range of events beyond concerts where Koert would like to see the mats used, such as sports and Canada Day events.

“We want the community to identify for themselves: ‘Oh, people are having a real hard time navigating this one path that people have to walk on in order to participate in our event.’ Well, maybe that’s a good application for the mat,” Koert said.

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