CALGARY -- Accessibility consultant Sean Crump was recognized Thursday by the province with the Marlin Styner Achievement Award.
The award is given to an Albertan with a disability who has not allowed it to become a barrier to personal or professional excellence.
The 35-year-old Crump works with cities and businesses to improve design in public spaces that improve access, safety and dignity for people with disabilities.
“We’ve come a really long way and I think that in recent years we are moving the needle further faster,” says Crump, who broke his back in a diving accident in 2004.
He says little things such as curb cuts at street crossings that don’t line up with crossing lanes can force people in wheelchairs to veer into places drivers aren’t expecting them.
In restaurants and bars, things such as a lack of automatic doors, high tables or washrooms located in the basement can make a night out difficult, Crump says.
According to Statistics Canada, roughly one in five Canadians are living with one or more disabilities.
