2009-01-26 14:40 | fche blog enun-dorsals access at ontario science centre
We joined the mob of stroller-wielding families this past Saturday, visiting the OSC. It was fun enough, except for the small matter of getting around the six-story building.
Hi - Several times over the last few months that my young family visited the OSC, the poor state of access was saddening. Half the elevators and some of the escalators were not working. For a deeply multilevel structure like yours, this is unacceptable. Worse, there was no staff nearby to operate backup machines like the big cargo elevator. Whole lines of families were lined up for tens of minutes, waiting for elevators that never came, or only went the wrong way. Many took the risk of taking the strollers onto those long escalators or steps. I witnessed several near-accidents. This is not an isolated issue, and it's not just a matter of "sorry, the elevators are under maintenance". If you know that access is impaired, put enough signs and staff on duty that people can get around safely and timely. If you can't, then put up a big warning sign at the OSC entrance. To do neither is to frustrate and endanger your visitors. Thank you for your attention to this problem. - FChE