StopGap engages the community to build portable Stopgap ramps for businesses with single step entrances
Mission: The Google Dictionary definition of stopgap is “A temporary way of dealing with a problem or solving a need”. StopGap Ottawa’s mission is to solve one-step barriers to access for people using wheelchairs or other mobility devices. StopGap Ottawa is a branch of the StopGap Foundation based in Toronto. We were formed in 2015 and through collaboration with community partners such as the Wellington West BIA, Makerspace North, and the Ottawa Tool Library, we have had 3 Community Ramp Builds which have helped over 30 Ottawa businesses become accessible to people using wheelchairs.
Problem Description: According to Stats Canada “an estimated one in five Canadians … aged 15 years and over had one or more disabilities that limited them in their daily activities.” (https://www150.
Project Description: The StopGap Ottawa App will be an online source for users to enter the name, address, and contact information of 1-step businesses in Ottawa that could use a StopGap ramp. It’s purpose is to engage the community so they can enter photos and data of 1-step businesses in Ottawa so as to help us create a database of businesses that StopGap Ottawa can potentially ramp.