By: Marisa Hersey-Misner
In 1991, I first stood at the CNIB office in Saint John, New Brunswick and spoke up about the urgent need for Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) in our city. I am legally blind and highlighted my experiences at several dangerous intersections, but two experiences stayed with me.
Every day, I had to cross Chesley Drive at Lansdowne Avenue on my way to work. This routine became perilous on a foggy, drizzly evening when a truck nearly struck me, leaving me shaken. That intersection remained a source of fear for me for decades, until an APS was finally installed in the fall of 2018.
The second dangerous intersection was at McAllister Drive and Westmorland Road, in the heart of our shopping and entertainment district, which blocked access not only for people who are blind but also for those with mobility aids and parents with strollers. Despite being on the Saint John Ability Advisory Committee’s priority list since 2005, the city resisted changes for more than 20 years. I refused to give up. With persistence and tenacity, I brought the question to every meeting with the city and stakeholders: “When will you be installing APS at that intersection?”
My determination paid off. Once a voice of a client, then a CNIB volunteer, I am now the newest member of the CNIB advocacy team. My efforts helped shift the conversation: where the city had only 12 APS units in 2012, there are now more than 30 across Saint John, including new crosswalk signals.
I want my story to be a powerful reminder that one voice, united with a mission, can transform a community.