StopGap Foundation
| Formation | 2011 |
|---|---|
| Founders | Luke Anderson and Michael Hopkins[1] |
| Type | Charitable nonprofit |
| Purpose | Accessibility |
| Headquarters | Centre for Social Innovation[2] |
| Location | |
| Products | Custom portable accessible ramp |
Executive Director | Luke Anderson |
| Website | stopgap |
StopGap Foundation is a charity that combats barriers to accessibility and supports communities to create barrier-free spaces.[3] The organization was founded in 2011 and became a registered charity in 2013.[2] The name 'stopgap' reflects the both temporary and immediate solution to the challenges posed by an inaccessible environment, as the ramps are a short-term solution that should be followed by long-term improvements to the built environment that make such measures unnecessary.[4]
History[edit]
The StopGap Foundation began in 2011[5] as an experiment in The Junction neighbourhood of Toronto, where 13 business owners were given a free ramp.[6][7] The organization was founded by Luke Anderson and Michael Hopkins.[1] The foundation has since expanded to 40 communities and has provided over 1,000 ramps across Canada as of 2016.
In 2015, StopGap was one of the Centre for Social Innovation's Agents of Change: City Builders cohort.[8] The Agents of Change program is described as a way to give "dreamers, doers and innovators a helping hand" and is part of CSI's programming offerings to help entrepreneurs accelerate their ideas.[9]
Accessibility and the Law[edit]
The foundation developed temporary ramps as a cost-effective solution to make businesses with a single step accessible. An encroachment bylaw in the city of Toronto prevents permanent installations that extend into the sidewalk except with a permit; the cost of construction of a permanent installation and the permit can be a barrier to business owners and organizations.[1]
In 2013, the City of Toronto's Disability Issues Committee found that the temporary ramps could not constitute compliance with the province of Ontario's Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.[10] AODA aims to make Ontario barrier-free by 2025, but StopGap Foundation has been critical of the province of Ontario's sluggish pace in ensuring that the deadline is met.[11][12] As well, the organization has pointed out tension when trying to develop accessible public spaces: municipalities often mandate minimum sidewalk clearance widths to ensure that there is enough space for people to navigate; yet, it also results in prohibiting obstructions, such as ramps, from projecting in the sidewalk realm.[13]
Projects and Programs[edit]
The Foundation offers a range of programs and projects, including:
- Request a Ramp: allows business owners to purchase a custom-fitted ramp between $250 and $550 CAD.[14]
- Community Ramp Project: a volunteer-led initiative to help bring the message of accessibility to communities in Canada and abroad.[15]
- Volunteering: the foundation engages with volunteers, such as representing the Foundation at events and assisting with ramp painting.[16]
- Corporate Team Building: activities can include speaking to business owners about single-stepped entryways to painting ramps.[17] Organizations that participate in team building donate to the foundation; the funds are then used to subsidize ramps for other organizations.
- StopGap on Tour: developed in collaboration with Tim Moxam of Broken Social Scene, StopGap on Tour is a program that partners with artists to deliver pre-designed ramps to music venues while on tour.[18][19]
- School Program: the foundation engages with students to raise awareness regarding barriers to accessibility.[20] In 2019, Toyota announced a $100,000 investment to grow the program.[21]
Impact[edit]
As of 2018, StopGap Foundation installed over 1,000 ramps and worked with over 50 communities.[22]
After installing a ramp in the town of Kenora, Ontario in 2014, when the city undertook a downtown revitalization project in the following year, they raised the sidewalks to make the accessibility benefits permanent in the built environment.[5]
Development company The Daniels Corporation introduced the Accessibility Designed Program (ADP) to address accessibility in condominium units by offering assisted mobility focused condo suites.[23] The Daniels corporation collaborated with StopGap Foundation and other organizations to develop the program.
The success of the StopGap Foundation has been carried to Ottawa: in 2015, a group of volunteers founded StopGap Ottawa.[24][25][26]
Additional Benefits[edit]
The foundation's temporary ramps are examples of universal design and accessible design. In addition to making businesses more accessible for people with disabilities, temporary ramps improve access for parents with strollers,[27] people making deliveries, and seniors.[28]
Awards[edit]
Luke Anderson has been recognized for his work to expand accessibility. In 2015, Samara Canada awarded him the Everyday Political Citizen award (recipients aged 30 years and up).[29][30] Samara Canada's Managing Director, Kendall Anderson, explained that Luke Anderson was chosen because of his focus on solving problems with accessibility "at the street level."[29] In 2016, Anderson was awarded the Jane Jacobs Prize.[6] The award, presented by Spacing Magazine, is named after famed urbanist Jane Jacobs and "celebrates individuals who contribute to the fabric of Toronto life in unique ways that exemplify the ideas of Jane Jacobs."[31] In 2018, Anderson was awarded the Governor General Award for Meritorious Service Decorations (Civil Division).[32] The award recognized his efforts to draw "attention to the need to permanently eliminate barriers in our built environment."[32] That same year, the Rotary Club of Parkdale High Park Humber recognized Anderson as a Paul Harris Fellow, an award that recognizes people for their "Service Above Self".[33] The award is the organization's highest honour and is bestowed upon individuals who have a positive impact on their community.[33]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Broverman, Aaron (14 October 2014). "The curse of the one step". Now Toronto. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "StopGap Foundation". Centre for Social Innovation. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
- ↑ "Our Mission". StopGap Foundation. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
- ↑ Simcoe, Luke (17 November 2015). "Ramps stopping the gap" (PDF). Metro Toronto. Archived from the original on 2015. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Bowerman, Glyn (12 Mar 2019). "How a little wooden ramp reshaped an Ontario city". TVO. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Beeston, Laura (21 July 2016). "StopGap founder wins Jane Jacobs prize". Toronto Star. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
- ↑ "Cities are for everyone - Creating a barrier-free world". Centre for Social Innovation. Youtube. 14 January 2016. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
- ↑ Williams, Audra (20 March 2019). "The StopGap Foundation: How a little wooden ramp reshaped an Ontario city". Centre for Social Innovation. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
- ↑ "Agents of Change: City Builders". Centre for Social Innovation. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
- ↑ "Consideration of the StopGap Ramp Initiative in meeting AODA Compliance Requirements". City of Toronto. 14 June 2013. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
- ↑ Deering, Daniel (21 December 2018). "The stop-start nature of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), and what it means for Ontarians looking for an accessible province by 2025". StopGap Foundation. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
- ↑ "In a Compelling Open Letter, 21 Disability Organizations Unite to Call on the Doug Ford Government to Announce a Plan to Implement the Report on Ontario's Disabilities Act Submitted by Former Lieutenant Governor David Onley Almost Six Months Ago". AODA Alliance. 10 July 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
- ↑ "Round Table: Beyond Barriers The challenge and opportunity of inclusive design". Ontario Association of Landscape Architects. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
- ↑ "Request a Ramp". StopGap Foundation. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
- ↑ "Our Community Ramp Project". StopGap Foundation. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
- ↑ "Our Volunteers". StopGap Foundation. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
- ↑ "Corporate Team Building". StopGap Foundation. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
- ↑ "StopGap on Tour". StopGap Foundation. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
- ↑ Romu, Rachel (18 September 2019). "Who's leading the way toward accessibility in Toronto's music scene?". NOW Magazine. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
- ↑ "StopGap founder Luke Anderson to speak at Mount Allison - Feb. 5". Mount Allison University. 29 January 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
- ↑ "Toyota Canada announces partnership with StopGap, $100,000 investment". Cision. 22 November 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
- ↑ Dunn, Scott (9 May 2018). "Downtown accessibility ramp project kicks off". The Owen Sound Sun Times. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
- ↑ Mirabelli, Julian (6 October 2017). "Daniels Introduces Program For Accessible Condominium Units". Urban Toronto. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
- ↑ "Closing the accessibility gap, 1 ramp at a time". CBC News. 20 November 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
- ↑ "Who We Are". StopGap Ottawa. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
- ↑ Leone, Nicolina (1 December 2015). "Feel good – stop gaps". Ottawa Magazine. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
- ↑ Lam, Elsa (12 November 2018). "Editorial: Design Like A Mother". Canadian Architect. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
- ↑ "A Guide To Toronto From One Of Its Biggest Accessibility Advocates". Storeys. 24 September 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 Clarke, Katrina (9 December 2015). "Founder of Stopgap Foundation wins award, talks accessibility gaps in Toronto". Toronto Star. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
- ↑ "Announcing the 2015 EPCitizen winners!". The Samara Centre for Democracy. 4 December 2015. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
- ↑ "Jane Jacobs Prize". Spacing Magazine. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
- ↑ 32.0 32.1 "William Lucas Anderson". The Governor General of Canada. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 "Rotary Recognizes Luke Anderson with a Paul Harris Fellow Award". Rotary Club of Parkdale High Park Humber. 19 January 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
StopGap Foundation[edit]
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