Paralyzed Humboldt Bronco looks to make buildings more accessible

Spending the last five years using a wheelchair hasgiven former Humboldt Broncos hockey player Ryan Straschnitzki a newpath forward.

The 23-year-old from Airdrie, Alta., says so many times friendsand family have had to carry his chair up stairs, wheel him downsketchy ramps and find other ways to get him around narrow doorways.

So he's studying how to make buildings more accessible for thedisabled.

"Having lived this experience for five years now and goingtravelling all over the world and just realizing how inaccessibleplaces are, especially Calgary, where I'm most of the time," hesaid. "I realized that maybe working toward making things a littlemore accessible ... these sorts of problems don't have to beencountered by anyone else."

Straschnitzki was paralyzed from the chest down on Apr.6, 2018,when a semi-trailer ran a stop sign and barrelled into the path ofthe junior hockey team's bus in rural Saskatchewan.

Sixteen people died and 13 were seriously injured.

Since then, Straschnitzki has played sledge hockey and become abrand ambassador for Adidas. And he recently completed anaccessibility certification course with the Rick Hansen Foundationabout a national rating system that measures the physical access ofbuildings and other sites.

Hansen, who created the foundation, is best known as the Man InMotion for his wheelchair trip around the world in the 1980s to drawattention to people with disabilities and find a cure for paralysis.

He has been in regular contact with Straschnitzki since theBroncos crash.

"Rick and I had a couple of conversations and we realizedCanada, in general, is a little behind the eight ball on
accessibility," said Straschnitzki.

"So I took this course to learn a little bit more aboutuniversal design, so that architecture is more accessible to
everyone.

"I've been learning about construction drawings and types ofbuildings. How to do a rating system and how to make changes in theright way. Hopefully, this can help me sort of project a universaldesign to future builders."

Straschnitzki isn't sure if it will lead to a career but saidhe's looking at taking related courses in the future.

Hopesto join nationalpara hockey team

Four years ago, doctors implanted an epidural stimulator inStraschnitzki's spine. The device, which resembles a smartphone,sends electrical currents to the spinal cord to try to stimulatenerves and move limbs.

With it, he has been able to stand on his own and take a fewsteps with a walker.

He is also using the device to improve his balance while playingsledge hockey. Straschnitzki is on Alberta's para hockey team andhas been working to make the national team and the Olympics.

"It's one of those things where you're hoping you'll get achance to try out in September. But from what I've been told frompeople in the organization and through the para-hockey program, mydisability is holding me back," he said.

"It's a little bit of the balance and the skating. The wholesport is essentially an amputee sport, so for a guy in a wheelchairto make that team is going to be tough.

"Hopefully again I can just prove them wrong."