Paralympic hockey player calls for greater accessibility in Ontario ice rinks

Billy Bridges has witnessed so many advancements in the Paralympic movement from when he first started playing para hockey more than two decades ago. 

He's also watched as rinks across Canada have evolved into accessible spaces for persons with disabilities.

That's why what happened at his seven-year-old daughter's hockey practice a couple of weekends ago was that much more jarring. 

"Nothing says 'you still don't belong here' in hockey quite like being assigned a city rink to coach my daughter, that is still 100 per cent inaccessible," Bridges said in a Twitter post on Dec. 3.

Bridges attached a video of himself in Team Canada gear having to traverse a number of steps in his sled from the ice to the main level of the rink. 

Nothing says “you still don’t belong here” in hockey quite like being assigned a city rink to coach my daughter, that is still 100% inaccessible. Be better <a href="https://twitter.com/townofoakville?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@townofoakville</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/changehockeyculture?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#changehockeyculture</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/hockeyforall?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#hockeyforall</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZgTiJEviqM">pic.twitter.com/ZgTiJEviqM</a>

"As soon as I wheeled in I noticed it was completely inaccessible. There are about six stairs that go down to the only doors that go down the ice," Bridges told CBC Sports. "I think I was just taken aback. I hadn't seen that in so long and luckily my disability allows me to overcome it but I really felt the need to address the situation." 

It just so happened to be United Nations' International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Bridges' tweet has been liked and retweeted hundreds of