Paralympian Joanne MacDonald gets keys to lower mailbox

Aparalympianwho complained she couldn't reach her community mailbox got a quick response from Canada Post after speaking to CBC News on Tuesday.

JoanneMacDonald has been given the keys to a new mailbox, and that's not all.

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"They went through the process with me in terms of what I hadrequested and I had requested a lower box and then Isaid, 'Well that's great, but Iam concerned in terms of the winter,whathappens?'So they talked aboutwhat would happen with respect to home delivery. And they would provide home delivery to me once a week, every WednesdayPackages and parcels they would deliver that on a daily basis," saidMacDonald, who received the keys to her new lower box Wednesday.

"So that sounded pretty reasonable."

Lots of complaints

Kelly White, executive director forthe Coalition ofPersons with Disabilities, hasbeen hearinglots of complaints like MacDonald's.

White said some people in wheelchairs complained theycouldn't navigate to the boxes,or when they did, their assigned boxes were too high to reach.

"One guy actually told us that he spent a year filling out his paperworkwithCanada Post and being assured of accessible accommodation. He got his keys in the mailbox last week, and when he went down to check his mailbox, he was giventhe top box, which he couldn't reach," she said.

White says the problems happened despite the efforts of people like her.

"It was just incredible that there was no thought given to accessibility and we thought, as the Coalitionof Persons with Disabilities, along with our national affiliatewe thought we did a great job of asking for more accessibility, she said.

White says even though Canada Post has suspended its plan to eliminate door-to-door delivery, she expects it will eventually go back to that plan.

"I think this is going to go forward because it's already in motion. What I would like to see is for them to really take into consideration is accessibility," she said.

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In the meantime,MacDonaldsaidshe hopedother disabled people would get the same kind of accommodation even though she had gone through Canada Post's process identifying her requirementsseveral monthsearlier and only got a response24 hours after contacting the media,

She also thankedthe public for aresponse that'sbeen "overwhelming."

"TheFacebookposts, the picturethat was shared absolutely everywhere yesterdayIt's just been absolutely awesome. I sent a note out this morning to thank everyone for their supportand sharing," she said.

"That's the power of people, that's the power of media. We create a little bit of change here and it needs to continue because there are many more folks,like myself,who need this,"