Seven years ago, Paralympic snowboarder Michelle Salt lost her leg in a motorcycle accident on the Cochrane Hill. The most challenging part of her life since then has been walking due to the trauma to her right hip. She was in a life-threatening condition and on life support for seven days. She also sustained multiple broken bones and ultimately had to have her right leg amputated above the knee. She has mostly adapted to her injury, including gaining world recognition as a Paralympian, but now a new barrier is in her way – Cochrane pathways in the winter. “I visit the (Jim Uffelmann Memorial) dog park every day in the summer but since the first snowfall, I’ve had to stay away as it’s not worth the risk of constantly falling,” Salt said. But on Dec. 6, Salt wanted to give the pathways another go. She only got about 300 metres up the trail before having to turn back. The trail, she said was so slippery that she had multiple falls in that span. “It’s steep going down to the parking lot and my prostheses required my body weight to resist, which I can’t do if I can’t properly plant my foot, I kept falling,” Salt said. Random people were coming to her aid, and, eventually, she made it back to the parking lot. But it was a stern reminder that the wintry pathways in town were inaccessible to her. “I would love to see the town making an honest effort to clear and salt the walkways. It isn’t just the (Jim Uffelmann) walkways that are an issue. It’s most parking lots in town. Always icy and a danger for anyone with a walking impairment,” Salt said. “I think Cochrane has done a great job with accessibility in other areas such as playgrounds etc. I would like to see them make just as much effort on clearing snow and ice.” “I think it’s important to understand that though it’s not a large number in a town this size, there will always be people living with a disability and though we aren’t asking for a town to cater to just us but simply asking to respect our safety and limitations. This goes for everyone, disability or not. Women who are pregnant, people with perfectly good legs. The risk is always there when the roads and walkways are icy and slippery.” Salt said she hoped to get the attention of the town. She even wrote an email but has not heard back. Julie Haskill, a communications representative with the town, which is responsible for town-owned pathways and public building lots, as well as the sidewalks adjacent to parks and playgrounds, said the towns policy is to clear snow within 48 hours of a snowfall. “From an accessibility perspective, our FCSS team works with the Make Good in the Neighbourhood project which sees accessibility ramps installed at businesses around town,” Haskill added.
