NEW GLASGOW – Amanda White is going to be walking – or riding – a mile in Jason MacDonald's shoes on June 23.
White, the executive director of Career Connections, will be spending the day in a wheelchair – something MacDonald, the job search navigator/job developer at the organization does every day.
It's part of the Canadian Paraplegic Association's Chair-Leaders event, which raises funds and awareness about the challenges people with spinal cord injuries and other mobility disabilities face to achieve independence, self-reliance and full community participation.
Through the Chair-Leaders program, individuals agree to spend a day using a wheelchair, experiencing life through the eyes of someone with mobility issues. Chair-Leaders raise funds for the association, but more importantly, experience the challenges for themselves.
White has taken on the challenge.
"I'm going to go out in the community and see what it's like to do things in a wheelchair for a day," she said.
She's in the process of getting sponsors and each staff member at Career Connections in New Glasgow is raising funds that they'll pool together. The minimum the group has to raise is $1,000 and donations are already beginning to trickle in, so she's hopeful they'll reach the goal.
But more than money, she said, it's raising the awareness that's most important to her.
"We want to get the awareness about accessibility issues out there," she said. "We have one staff member who is in a wheelchair and we provide services to people with disabilities. There's still a lot of accessibility issues out there."
MacDonald offered White some helpful tips on things like steering the chair this week when she did a brief trial run.
White plans to spend some time in the office and go out into the community as well on June 23.
Anyone who would like to make a donation can contact Career Connections at 752-6826.
