Rick Hansen was on hand at Grandview Heights Aquatic Centre this morning to recognize and congratulate Surrey on its excellence in becoming more accessible.
Hansen, who wheeled 40,000 km for his "Man In Motion Tour" unveiled a plaque on behalf of the Rick Hansen Foundation declaring the facility gold accessibility.
"Disability is a big deal", says Hansen.
He says there are over a billion people living with a disability, according to the World Health Organization.
In Canada over 20 per cent of the population, including aging baby boomers and their parents, are acquiring many disabling conditions and the issue is just getting bigger.
"I’m a big fan of getting our city up so it's completely accessible," said Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum.
Hansen and the mayor took a tour of the facility to check its upgrades, such as lifts to lower people into the pool, ramps and removable portable stairs into the pool.
There are also work out machines that are wheel chair accessible and a quiet room for people who suffer from sensory issues to go and decompress.
