With many Metro Vancouver residents relying on transit for their daily commute, finding ways to give them the confidence to navigate the transit system – especially if they happen to be living with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia – is an important step toward building a better dementia-friendly community.
An upcoming event, Transit accessibility and challenges: Tips for people living with dementia, explores some of the challenges and strategies for using public transit when living with dementia. All residents of Delta, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Surrey, Richmond, Langley, North Vancouver, Maple Ridge and White Rock are invited to participate.
“An inclusive transit system not only provides a safe environment, but also creates opportunities for the public to be more aware of the signs for when people may benefit from extra support,” says Sana Aziz, Provincial Coordinator, Dementia-Friendly Communities at the Alzheimer Society of B.C. “When people understand the behaviours related to dementia and have the tools to assist, they are more capable and prone to lend a helping hand to create an accessible and inclusive transit experience for all riders.”
The Alzheimer Society of B.C. has partnered with TransLink’s Chris Chan to discuss Metro Vancouver's diverse and accessible public transit and what it takes to create a system that is dementia friendly. Also joining the conversation is Jim Mann, a long-time dementia advocate, who will be sharing his personal experience in navigating transit while living with dementia.
Chan is the manager of travel training with Public Affairs at TransLink. He’s been a strong advocate for sharing information about public transit with customers with diverse abilities. Mann was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2007 at the age of 58. His focus is on addressing the stigma associated with dementia and promotes living positively with the disease. Through activities that include collaboration with researchers, he hopes to change minds and help others improve quality of life for people living with the disease.
The free online session takes place on Wednesday, July 13 at 2 p.m.
To register, visit: alzbc.org/transit-dementia.
