Meet Chris Binkowski. In December, Chris came to our sixth grant JustDrinks event and spoke to me about an idea that he was working on. We chatted about it and fine-tuned some ideas. He then submitted an impressive application for the seventh round.
Chris’s idea is to set up a nonprofit that would connect business and building owners with manufacturers of a fairly recent, yet effective product: a small, portable accessibility ramp. Chris would act as an intermediary and marketer for these ramps and employ traditional sales tactics (like sheer determinism) as well as more innovative actions (like including a window sticker in each sale for the business or building owner to put in their front entrance for a win/win). Accessibility for Humanity he calls it: we like the name.
Through Chris’s idea, he resolves to address the issue of accessibility. Specifically, Chris will focus on business and building owners who have one or several steps leading up to their entrances. These steps, although few, present a challenge for those with wheelchairs. This challenge exists all over Ottawa. As an illustration, try to observe how many stores on Bank, Elgin, Sparks, or Wellington, have steps leading up to their entrance, and imagine never ever being able to access these places as a result. Not being able to access these places disables the city of Ottawa itself.
So Chris now has JustChange’s seventh micro-grant, but he will need you to rally for his cause. Come meet him at the next JustDrinks event on February 25th, at Pressed Café. Chat about his idea, visit his Facebook page, identify businesses that would purchase a ramp (and benefit from expanding their customer-base), offer your support in any way, shape or form. It takes a village after all, and Chris has such a powerful and sensible idea that it could certainly ‘ramp up’.
(sorry, had to) .
See you there,
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