Kindersley Visualy Impaired Group

Pardon the expression but I had an eye opening meeting with the Kindersley Visually Impaired Group yesterday morning. I have to confess I don't look at the world from a visually challenged, or any type of challenged, perspective. As a result yesterday was a good meeting.

Doreen Gronning is the President and explained to me some of the challenges they face as a group. One of the challenges is something we can't help with and the rest are things we can either correct ourselves or influence others to act.

The Group recently found out that the CNIB will no longer be attending their meetings. Here are some of their other concerns.

• none of the stoplights have signals indicating when it is safe to cross for the visually impaired.
• can we install 'talking lights' at Main and 3rd?
• some of our sidewalks are badly broken making it difficult to walk: areas include 6th Ave W at the 300 block, 2nd St W between 6th and 7 Ave.
• it is expensive to fix sidewalks: for example 1 'slab' costs $300 to repour. However, Kamruz has found an hydraulic method using a type of mud to raise the concrete that might be viable at $30 per slab
• untrimmed shrubs and bushes are a problem and they mentioned a spot on 1st Ave W on the 200 block and 1st Ave E near Uptown Estates.
• some expressed disappointment that the crosswalk sign crossing Ditson Rd to go to Wal Mart seems ineffective.
• they think people are ignoring the sign
• however there is consensus traffic has slowed due to the radar sign
• the group also expressed frustration with neighbours and residents who don't clear their sidewalks of snow during the winter.

Problematic Sidewalk for the visually impaired. - Sept 2013

Thank you Doreen and the Kindersley Visually Impaired Group for an informative and enjoyable meeting. As an aside: they are great hosts and gave me lunch for the road so I could make my meetings in Saskatoon. The sandwiches were excellent and dessert divine: I just wish all desserts were calorie free.