Access 2 Cards from Easter Seals Canada have played a large role in supporting disabled people across the country, but most people in Strathmore may not have heard of this program.

Access 2 Cards partners with local businesses to give disabled people the card, which allows them to bring one free or discounted admission for their support person. This helps the cardholder access more community facilities since the cost of the support person would not be a limiting factor in where or how often someone could go out. In Calgary, venues like Calaway Park, the Calgary Zoo, the Glenbow Museum, and more are part of the program.

Mother of a special needs child Shannon Zegil hopes to see Strathmore businesses adopt this program, as it could be a big help in making Strathmore more accessible to our disabled population. Zegil explained disabled adults more often than not have a lower income than the average citizen since they may rely solely on AISH, which has a maximum monthly living allowance of $1787

"I think that it would be amazing to have the Access 2 Cards in Strathmore for the special needs people and their families... they should be able to access these programs the way that anybody else can," Zegil said. 

Zegil added businesses in surrounding communities like Calgary and Brooks facilitate the program, and while it's great to use when they're in the area, she believes it's important that Strathmore offer the same supports.

"They're going to depend on their family or caregivers to make sure that that can happen, and if you don't have a caregiver to make that happen, or maybe somebody's caring for them who is not able to make it to Calgary, then how can they access any of this? 

Town of Strathmore's Marketing and Communications Analyst Danielle Jensen said the Town would be open to hearing from Easter Seals Canada to see if a partnership would help make Strathmore more accessible, and the Town itself already does something very similar.

"Town of Strathmore recreation facilities offer a specialized rate to people with disabilities for admissions and memberships. Part of this specialized rate includes free access to the facilities for the aids of people with disabilities," Jensen said.

In relation to the specialized rate, Jensen added Strathmore FCSS also facilitates the Community Access Discount, which is an income-based program that helps residents purchase recreation memberships or register for programs at a discounted rate. Jensen said the Strathmore Motor Products Sports Centre applied for the Canadian Parks & Recreation Reaching Each and Every One Community Grant. These funds are being used to bring new program activities like:

  • Barrier-free lacrosse
  • Adapted Bocce
  • Floor Hockey (wheelchair floor hockey)
  • Wheelchair soccer 
  • Multi-sport league, a rotation of adaptive sports occurring on a regular basis

While the Town is happy to offer these supports and find other ways to make Strathmore more accessible, the Access 2 Cards is a private business initiative, meaning the Town can't simply bring it to Strathmore and adopt the program; it would be up to the private business itself to bring this to Strathmore.

If you are a business interested in the Easter Seals Access 2 Cards, you can contact them at 403-235-5662 or omfp@easterseals.ab.ca. You can also find more information on their website at easterseals.ab.ca

Send your news tips, story ideas, pictures, and videos to news@strathmorenow.com

Related Stories