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Re: Amherstburg keeps ‘controversial’ Open Air festival at 14 weekends (Dec. 5)
I’ve asked but no one has provided me with documentation that Amherstburg administration included the exclusion of people with disabilities as a risk in its Open Air analysis, as well as what undue hardship the town would endure if the festival ended.
Councillor Diane Pouget has been the only elected official to consistently represent Amherstburg’s disabled community and acknowledge the human right to equal access.
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Councillor Don McArthur said surveys show “overwhelming” support for Open Air and that the festival fosters a closeness in the community. It seems decisions are based on a majority of the minority who participate in the surveys — only about two per cent of the population participated in the first residents’ survey.
As council’s representative on the accessibility committee, McArthur should champion accessibility.
Amherstburg council needs to make a stronger commitment to accessibility and address the negative impact on people with disabilities who are excluded and socially isolated in their own community.
Expecting anyone to adapt or conform to something that people without disabilities want, not need, is unacceptable.
Linda Saxon
Amherstburg
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