Unfortunately, due to the weather forecast for rain on Saturday, the Attleboro Wheelchair Stroll has been postponed to Saturday, May 3rd at 12:00pm. Using either a manual or electric wheelchair has added challenges during inclement weather. Being caught in a rainstorm can have serious consequences for electric wheelchair users whose equipment can stop working properly. Often the remedy is to allow their electric wheelchairs to sit in a warm, dry place for many hours to allow unseen water to evaporate before using the joystick or brakes of their wheelchair again. This poses a significant challenge to anyone without a backup manual wheelchair and can leave someone stuck without any mode of transportation. Electric wheelchairs are significantly heavier than manual wheelchairs, so sending it out for repairs is no small task. Even on a good day, wheelchair riders need to be conscious of their power usage and whether their primary form of transportation has charged enough since its last use or else risk becoming stuck mid-trip.

For these reasons and more, it is important that our city continues to strive to provide clear sidewalks, curb cuts, safe pedestrian crosswalks, accessible van parking, and accessible public spaces so that both residents and visitors who use wheelchairs have equal access to all that our city has to offer.

The Attleboro Commission on Disabilities hope you will join them at the Wheelchair Stroll on Saturday, May 3rd at 12:00pm starting at City Hall. Thank you for supporting accessibility for all Attleboro residents.