It's a twist on the phrase 'walk a mile in my shoes,' with Gerry LaHay encouraging people to 'roll a mile in his wheels,' but for LaHay it wasn't just words, it was a call to action.
LaHay stationed himself at the corner of Richmond and York streets around 10 a.m. Tuesday with an open invitation for people to come by and try out his wheelchair.
He was hoping of promote understanding of how sidewalk conditions can impact able-bodied and mobility-challenged people very differently.
He made his "roll a mile in my wheels" pitch on social media, but only one person took up the offer to try and navigate the downtown sidewalk in his wheelchair.
Bruce Dust is a Disability Accommodation Specialist with the provincial government, "It seemed like a good opportunity to try it, experience London from his perspective."
After some coaching from LaHay, Dust cautiously made his way along the sidewalk, with the undulations in the brick putting him to the test.
"It's tough, I thought. My eyes got wide. I thought I was going to fall over a couple of times, at a couple of spots," Dust says.
Three years ago LaHay lost his right leg as the result of diabetes-related complications. He lost his left leg four months ago.
He says he now understands how even a slight mobility limitation can be amplified by a steep slope or broken sidewalks.
"We're trying to get people back to downtown. But you can't have them come downtown if it's too much of a challenge to either navigate the sidewalks, or presents a dangerous situation."
He wants to ensure every city project is undertaken with those challenges in mind, "Sometimes we have to get back to the basics, and focus on the important key aspects, that we kind of take for granted every day, like sidewalks."
LaHay he says he will have another 'roll a mile' event with the aim of getting more people involved.
