A teenager with cerebral palsy said he was kicked out of Oliver arena’s public skate over the weekend because sleds are not allowed on the ice.
Zaiden Burke said within five minutes of arriving on the ice, an attendant came over and said he had to leave the rink.
“I was embarrassed in that moment,” Burke said. “I was with a bunch of my friends, and we were just trying to have fun.”
“Having that happen is kind of upsetting,” he added. “I wouldn’t want that to happen to someone else.”
Burke posted about his situation on Facebook.
“I am in full control of my sled and am not a danger to others. I am wondering if someone could help me fight this discrimination that someone with a disability is not allowed to public skate,” he wrote.
“It’s not OK. I am in tears and am looking for help.”
WATCH BELOW: Zaiden Burke tells Global Okanagan about the experience in this extended interview.
Burke has since posted that the situation has been rectified.
Carol Sheridan, the parks and recreation manager in Oliver, was apologetic and said the rule had been made 10 years ago, Burke said.
Oliver Parks and Recreation said its policy is under review.
“For me, it’s more about reviewing the entire policy to see what other wording maybe is not as inclusive as it should be,” Sheridan said. “But we will definitely be making sure that sledges are welcome on our ice surface moving forward.”
The City of Kelowna said in a statement that sledges are not currently permitted on the ice during public skates due to safety concerns.
“The city does offer a sledge hockey program that runs through the fall/winter months,” sport and event services manager Doug Nicholas said.
Burke said he is saddened that some places still have policies that impede someone’s ability to go skating in 2018.
“At the end of the day, everyone has a right to access a public arena, so to say that a certain group of people aren’t allowed to use it is kind of counter-intuitive,” he said.
However, the City of Penticton said it welcomes sledges during public skate times at McLaren Arena.
“We aim to offer accessible recreation within all of our recreation facilities, which includes the arena, along with the fitness room and pools at the Penticton Community Centre,” Kelsey Johnson, a spokesperson with the City of Penticton, said.
-With files from Shelby Thom
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