Abstract Manager

My friend Tom Flood (Rovélo Creative) has an ad that really resonates with be. It's a picture of a stroller with copy that reads: "Warning, pushing one of these through a city will radicalize you". I didn't know how true that was until I became a mom. I love walking with my daughter, and we've used her stroller on a daily basis since she was born for errands, walks, commuting to daycare, and just to get out of the house for my own mental health. Rain, snow, wind, or shine, we are out there walking. I love it, but sometimes it feels impossible. I've never felt as validated as when I was out walking with a friend who offered to push the stroller briefly during some lights snow and remarked that it was much harder than she thought. Some of the things I would touch on as part of this presentation include my love of smooth curb cuts as an often-unsung hero of transportation networks, winter maintenance of sidewalks as a non-negotiable, the conundrum about where to park your stroller and where to put it on transit, and what it's like to be in a crosswalk with a stroller, or a walking toddler. I've gained an appreciation for the places in my community that are accessible, but there is so much more to do to design for accessibility as a must have, not a nice to have.