Canadian Dreamers: Jeff Preston, Mobility Activist

Many of us take spontaneity for granted. We are lucky enough to be able to access buses, subways, and taxis with little advanced notice in order to meet up with friends or family when new plans develop. For many Canadians with disabilities, however, this is far from the case. Transportation arrangements often need to be made days in advance, are costly, and can be cancelled or delayed with few other transportation alternatives.

26-year-old Jeff Preston of London, Ontario, hopes to change that. Born with muscular dystrophy, Preston says his parents’ desire to raise him to “live a normal life” inspired him to view problems as opportunities to create positive change. One such problem Preston noticed while studying at the University of Western Ontario (UWO) was the lack of accessible campus transportation options.

For four years, Preston worked tirelessly with the UWO Administration to develop the Western Access Van so that his peers could get to classes with less hassle. In the process, he began to realize that, “Transportation plays a key role in [the] marginalization [of people with disabilities]…Lack of access to transportation holds us back. We have no way of getting to houses and jobs.” So Preston started to dream bigger.

In order to more broadly influence accessible transport policy, Preston vowed to drive his electric wheelchair from London to Ottawa, Ontario, advocating for change – now. Thus, the “Mobilize March” was born. Preston spent forty-seven days making the journey, sometimes driving for as long as nine hours straight. Along the way, he met several politicians, influential community members, and people with disabilities. He gave presentations at elementary and high schools. He even managed to post daily updates on his blog. One of his most memorable moments was being “tracked down” on the highway by the father of a young woman who had recently been left quadriplegic following an automobile accident. This father sharing his experience was just one of several incidents that Preston says made his journey, “life-changing.”

During the March, Preston repeatedly emphasized that transportation policy change must be good for all those involved – municipalities, the private industry, and the disabled population, among others – in order to be viable. His solution was simple – to have each municipality finance accessibility adaptations to existing taxis, and then charge individuals with accessibility needs a bus fare for using these vehicles. The proposition relied on existing infrastructure, and would thus be cheaper than hiring specially-trained drivers and mechanics for a separate accessibility transit system. It would also help the taxi industry maintain business, and ensure that people with disabilities could get around their city easily. The program was successfully implemented in Woodstock. The March also positively influenced accessible transport in Hampton Hills, Oshawa, and London.

Preston believes that much more can be done, however. He created a documentary of his journey, “Idling: A Transit Story”, which he shows to businesses and schools in Ontario to inspire change. Recently, he also decided to run for a City Councillor position in London in order to make the city more accessible and inclusive.

Changing society in any meaningful fashion takes time. So what keeps Preston going? “I want to leave the world better than I entered it,” he says. “I’m lucky to have an ability to speak, to advocate. If I didn’t do it, I would be betraying all those people out there who can’t.”

To learn more about Jeff Preston and the Mobilize March initiative, visit http://getmobilized.ca.

Know a Canadian with a big dream? Nominate him or her for our next Canadian Dreamer profile by contacting Ranita at rmanocha (at) alumni (dot) uwo (dot) ca.

Posted by Ranita Manocha