Canadian winters present challenges for everyone. Snow and ice make it harder to travel outdoors and the cold makes it harder to do
things once we get there. For some people, those additional demands can actually become barriers. For others, there are increased health
risks. February is a good time to consider those groups whose lives are most affected by winter conditions: people with physical
disabilities, seniors, and children.
Ice and Snow get in the Way
People with physical disabilities may need help to get around in the snow. Over 4 million people in Canada reported some level of
disability to Statistics Canada in 1991, and half of these people said their disabilities affected their ability to move around easily.
People who are able to travel the sidewalks alone during the summer can find it impossible to get their wheelchairs through the snow
unassisted in the winter. Canes may slip on the ice. Walkers may become unsteady when placed on unevenly packed snow. The strength of a
person's grip can be reduced in the cold, making it harder to hold on to these aids.
The effects of mobility impairments depend on both the nature and severity
of the condition that brought about the disability in the first place. For example,
a spinal
cord injury can cause quadriplegia (paralysis of all four limbs) or paraplegia
(paralysis of the lower extremities), and may require the use of a wheelchair,
cane, or walker depending on the extent of the paralysis. Muscular
dystrophy, an inherited disease affecting the muscles, also often requires
the use of aids to assist with walking, depending on how far the disease has
progressed. By contrast, the symptoms of a disease such as multiple
sclerosis (MS), flare up for a period of time and then can disappear for
as long as a year or more.
Seniors Can Stay Active by Being Safe
For all seniors, the winter months may seem limiting. Falls are one of the major causes of injuries for seniors, and slippery sidewalks
can make even routine errands difficult and dangerous. Seniors can increase their safety and their enjoyment of winter activity by taking
extra precautions such as using a cane for walking outdoors.
About half of all people over the age of 65 report having a disability. For these seniors the challenges of coping with winter weather
are increased, especially if their disabilities are losses of mobility or vision. Chronic health conditions also present particular
challenges in the winter. For example, seniors who have heart conditions need to be particularly careful not to increase the risk of heart
attacks from over-exertion while shovelling snow.
Keeping fit is key to good health, however, so it is important - and possible - for all seniors to stay safely active in the winter.
Children Are at Additional Risk
Cold winter temperatures can place children
at risk of getting frostbite or hypothermia. Smaller bodies cool more quickly,
but children may be unaware or unable to say when they are dangerously cold.
Another risk is asthma,
a lung condition that affects breathing, and which is especially prevalent among
children. In the 1995-96 Student
Lung Health Survey by Health Canada, 13% of children reported that they
had asthma and over half said that cold air was the trigger that made it difficult
for them to breathe. Although energetic physical activity is usually also a
trigger for asthma, children
can still play winter sports and should be encouraged to do so, while carefully
monitoring asthma to keep it under control.
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White Cane Week:
Since 1947, the first week of February has been designated White Cane Week by the Canadian Council for the Blind (CCB) and
The Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB). During this week, take a
moment to learn more about different kinds of
white canes and about the concerns and needs of people who are blind, visually impaired or deafblind. The snow can create additional
challenges for these people by reshaping ground that they have travelled by memory in the past. Also, a uniform snowfall can drastically
reduce depth perception and hide familiar visual landmarks on the ground from a person with even a slight visual impairment.
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References:
Statistics Canada. Health and Activity Limitations Survey (HALS), 1991.
Public Health Agency of Canada. Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control
(CCDPC) Web site. Chronic
Respiratory Diseases: Asthma
Related CHN Health Centres:
Living
with Disabilities
Seniors
Cardiovascular
Disease and Stroke
Children
Injury
Prevention
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This article was prepared by the New Brunswick Easter Seal March of Dimes on behalf of the CHN People with 
