Insider Tips from Vancouverites

Vancouver is truly a welcoming, accessible city and there’s no one better to tell you about it than the people who live here! From their tips for planning an accessible vacation, through to their favourite things experience in the city they call home, these four locals share their insights on Vancouver’s accessibility.

CRAIG FARIS

Originally from Vancouver Island, Craig regularly visited Vancouver as a kid, and now lives in North Vancouver aboard his 31-foot sailboat. A lover of outdoor adventure, Craig has been totally blind since birth, and spends his days working for the CNIB Foundation (Canadian National Institute for the Blind) as their Technology Program Lead.

What are your favourite places in Vancouver to take visitors?

Living on a sailboat, I love all things on the water, so I often take visitors on the Aquabus—the little ferries that cross False Creek and go to Granville Island. Stanley Park is also a favourite—it’s where my parents had their first date. And I also love Playland and especially Fright Nights! The bigger and scarier the rides, the better!

Are there any attractions or places in the city that visitors with blindness might be surprised to discover are accessible to them?

Some people are a bit surprised, but all of those places I’ve mentioned (Aquabus, Stanley Park and Playland) are totally easy for the blind to enjoy. The attendants at Playland are great and will help you find the rides and get you on and off them. It’s also really easy to take BC Ferries over to Bowen Island for the day – that’s really accessible. I did the Greenhart Canopy Walk at UBC a few years ago and that was great. SkyDive Vancouver out in Abbotsford was super accessible, and they were terrific when I jumped with them earlier this year.

Do you have any tips for visitors with blindness planning their trip to Vancouver?

Vancouver International Airport is very accessible. Not just for those who are blind, but they’ve made a lot of upgrades so that it works for everyone. And the Canada Line makes it very easy to take transit from the airport to the city. All transit in Vancouver—trains, buses and the SeaBus—are all easy to take because they make voice announcements for all of the stops. The city has also done a good job of incorporating audible pedestrian signals at major intersections. Finally, for Canadian travellers, if you’re legally blind and a client of CNIB, you can get free Translink transit day passes for Vancouver. You just need to contact the Vancouver CNIB office at least a week before you visit so we can mail them to your home.

SÉAN HAFFEY

Originally moving to Vancouver to attend the University of British Columbia, Séan Haffey settled back here 20 years ago. Three years ago, a stroke left him partially paralysed on his left side, and he now uses a power chair to get around. Most recently, Séan has worked as a certified accessibility assessor with the Rick Hansen Foundation.

What are your favourite places in Vancouver to take visitors?

One of my favourite places to go is Grouse Mountain, which is easy to get to on transit from downtown, via the SeaBus and one bus up to the mountain – it’s a nice trip in and of itself. And then you get on the gondola which is completely accessible for wheelchairs. Once you’re up there, there are lots of trails and activities. It’s a bit harder in winter when there’s snow, but the staff are very helpful.

Are there any attractions or places in the city that visitors with mobility challenges might be surprised to discover are accessible to them?

It might surprise people that many of the craft breweries in East and North Vancouver are quite accessible. Some use portable ramps to help you get inside and others are already accessible. My favourite is usually whichever one I was last at, but I do like Powell Brewery and Parallel 49 in East Vancouver. There are so many new places popping up in North Vancouver that it’s hard to keep up. In the summer, going to a baseball game at Nat Bailey Stadium is a great way to spend an afternoon. There’s an accessible seating area with access to the food and beer stands, and on some nights they even have fireworks and other shenanigans.

Do you have any tips for visitors with mobility challenges when it comes to planning their trip to Vancouver?

I’ve found that the listings in Google Maps are often a good starting point for accessibility information. And if it’s not listed in there, I just make a quick phone call. Transit in Vancouver is very accessible, much more than in New York or even Toronto; it’s how I get around every day. While Google Maps can be good for trip planning, it won’t tell you if a bus stop is accessible itself – for that you should visit the Translink website. And most neighbourhoods in Vancouver are easy to navigate in a chair because there are plenty of curb cuts at intersections.

BRAD JACOBSEN

Born and raised in B.C., Brad Jacobsen moved to Vancouver to go to college and to be on the coast. In 1994, on a long weekend trip with friends, Brad dove into a glacial river to retrieve a Frisbee, but his foot slipped and he broke his neck. Brad is a quadriplegic and uses a wheelchair in his everyday, but that hasn’t stopped him from exploring the many diverse attraction that Vancouver has to offer and taking on adventurous challenges like hiking BC’s famed West Coast Trail.

What are your favourite places in Vancouver to take visitors?

An obvious and amazing option is the sea wall which winds itself around the perimeter of English Bay, False Creek, downtown Vancouver and Stanley Park. It’s totally accessible and an awesome outdoor attraction that allows you to hang out with your family and friends in the fresh air while taking in the most excellent views. The seawall offers a lot of options along its path and Granville Island is one of my faves as well as a regular hang out being that I live close by. I love the delicious foods available and also getting in some people watching time while cruising around looking through and shopping in its many unique shops. In the past I have worked with some of the businesses such as Granville Island Brewing and Aquabus to help others savour a tasty brew and access Granville Island and the rest of False Creek by the water. I will always believe it is important to work with your community in becoming more accessible because it ends up opening the doors for others in the world around you. It’s a win-win.

Are there any attractions or places in the city that visitors with mobility challenges might be surprised to discover are accessible to them?

Getting up to Squamish or Whistler to hike or paddle, or even the North Shore and Grouse Mountain locally, and doing the trails is more accessible than you might think—especially, if they get in touch with some of the adapted recreation programs beforehand. Grouse has some paved trails, but also dirt paths through the forest that one can tackle with a TrailRider [a chair with one wheel below it and handles to allow a team to carry and maneuver it] that BCMOS rents out. I finished the West Coast Trail with one but, it can also be used to for more mellow activities like a stroll along the beach or to get you down to the river to do some fishing. I’d say, don’t just look at what’s already accessible, but look at what’s out there and use something like the TrailRider or an adaptive kayak to make it accessible.

Do you have any tips for visitors with mobility challenges when it comes to planning their trip to Vancouver?

Do your research online and formulate a decent game plan for your visit, being as well prepared as possible is always great. And that comes with information. A great place to find tips would be through many peers and participants on the Spinal Cord Injury BC’s (SCI-BC) Facebook page. Just throwing a question up on there for others living the life to answer could have some valuable returns. SCI-BC also has an info line that you can call and ask about almost anything, like recommendations for accessible hotels, gas stations that offer full service, where to eat and they also have a fantastic travel tips page.

Keep in mind that the SkyTrain isn’t just accessible transit – you can take it like it’s a tour and see a raised view of a good part of the city and much of the Lower Mainland. Don’t discount checking out sports and music venues for some dynamic entertainment. They are all mostly accessible and if not, the staff are usually willing to help you out. That’s actually a really important thing for people to know about visiting Vancouver: we have a large population of people rolling around in chairs, and locals are used to seeing us in and around the community so don’t hesitate to ask for some advice or directions on where to find some accessible gems around the city. Vancouver transit is 100 percent accessible and is a fantastic way to get around the city. All the cab companies have adapted vehicles as well which offers a more direct and specific option. Vancouver is a very multicultural city and so has some of the best food in the world to offer to its citizens and to its visitors so be sure to get a little brave and try something new.

Finally, when visiting Vancouver make sure to do all that you can but also keep an open mind and an open eye to some of the whimsical, spontaneous, unknown and creative opportunities that may arise outside of your comfort zone. It’s a great city to explore and in my 25 years of rolling along its streets and sidewalks I have mostly never felt unsafe. In fact I have always felt that the people of the city have helped me make it a more accessible place for me to live.