Gaining access
Published 9:32 am Saturday, August 17, 2019
Tucked in with the announcement that Ironton Wizardfest will be returning for a second year in November was a sign of how strong our community is.
Organizer Brad Bear commented on Facebook that people with mobility issues sometimes had trouble getting around the event last year and that he wondered if there was some way to come up with sponsors to buy six ramps to make it easier for people to get onto sidewalks.
Two and half hours after the post, he had the donations for the ramps. Six organizations and businesses agreed to each pay $150 a ramp. Twelve hours after the post, the ramps were ordered.
But Bear didn’t stop with just having the ramps for Wizardfest.
He talked to Mayor Katrina Keith and she agreed that the city would store the ramps and make them available for other events to use them.
One simple post and now a problem that most people rarely think about is solved.
And the ramps aren’t just for people in wheel chairs, there are many parents with strollers, people who may have broken their foot and people with electric scooters.
Bear wanted to make sure that all fans could get around easily.
And thanks to Christ Church, the Community Action Organization, The Vault Market, NeuroServices, M&M Realty and River City Wireless, they can.