The Glebe BIA is ramping up its accessibility strategy in advance of the IWBF Wheelchair Basketball World Championships at TD Place next month.
From Sept. 9 to 19, 336 athletes across 28 teams will come to Ottawa to compete in the championships. With coaches, medical staff, members of the media and more, over 1,200 participants are expected to convene at TD Place for the 11-day event.
Darrell Cox, executive director of the Glebe BIA, told OBJ Wednesday that the BIA is using the upcoming parasport event as the genesis for the area’s accessibility approach.
“We’re going to have athletes and other people in wheelchairs or with mobility issues coming to watch this event. We wanted to make sure our members were aware of the event and also do an audit of what challenges (those with mobility issues) may have in getting into some of these stores,” he said, adding that the audit included looking at the widths of doors and aisles as well as counter heights.
“One of the important things of the accessibility and visitor engagement strategy is that it isn’t just for the 11 days of the event, but it’s the legacy it provides.”
In addition to completing the audit of each of the area’s member businesses, Cox said the BIA will provide businesses with an accessibility toolkit and stopgap ramps, free of charge.
“We’ve been providing (ramps) free of charge to some of these businesses to allow somebody with mobility issues or in a wheelchair to easily get into the store … It’s about having an accessibility readiness checklist. It talks about signage, entrance barriers, rearranging displays to create circulation spaces and … providing staff with accessibility awareness tips,” he said.
Cox said the event will be one of the largest international sporting events hosted in Ottawa and the Glebe will be at the centre of it. The BIA is looking at a few ways to encourage participants to explore dining and retail options beyond Lansdowne Park.
“We are looking to develop a partnership with Wheelchair Basketball Canada and the event organizers where we’ll be doing some in-game sponsorship. We’ll have fun events and giveaways with visibility to local businesses on the scoreboard … There are obviously a lot of great options at Lansdowne Park, but we’ve got so much more to offer along Bank Street for shopping and restaurants,” he said.
Cox added that events like these highlight the Glebe and TD Place as a destination. “I think, considering all of the challenges over the last couple of years with Lansdowne 2.0, this really shows the importance of having a sports and entertainment district right in the heart of downtown.
“Of course, when the new event centre is built, you’re just going to see more events like this – international, national and provincial events – coming to Ottawa and, more importantly, to the Glebe. Our members can take advantage of all the increased foot traffic and visibility that these events offer.”
Early studies projected that the local economic impact of the event would be in the range of $12.9 million.
Another similar event could be the Northern Super League final, which the league announced would take place in Ottawa on Nov. 14. Last year, more than 12,000 people attended the inaugural NSL final in Toronto, with more than one million people watching the game on TV.
Hosting the second NSL final in Ottawa would be impactful for the Glebe, Cox said.
“We’ve all seen how well our soccer team has been doing, the (Ottawa) Rapid FC. Any increase in attendance we get is obviously (going to have a) positive economic impact on Glebe businesses,” he said.
Cox added that the game is coming at an ideal time, giving a much-needed boost to foot traffic in the Glebe in what is otherwise a slow season before the winter holidays.
