360: Getting around wintry Winnipeg streets in a wheelchair

See what it's like as Jesse Turner tries to get around downtown

Frigid temperatures and heavy snowfall have made this a trying winter for many Winnipeggers, but for Jesse Turner it's been especially difficult.

Turner works as an accessibility advisor at the University of Winnipeg and uses a wheelchair to get around.

She says winter throws up a series of challenges to her mobility, including icy sidewalks and piles of snow on the roadside, which sometimes force her into traffic when trying to cross the street.

Heaps of snow can also prevent Turner from reaching crosswalk buttons, requiring her to ask passersby for assistance. Even more frustrating, they often block her access to bus stops.

"What's the point of us having accessible public transportation if can't even get there to use it?" she asks.

To give people a better idea of what she faces during the winter months, Turner strapped on a GoPro camera for a 360-degree video as she navigated the streets near the U of W's Portage Avenue campus.

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See the obstacles Jesse Turner faces in her wheelchair:

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This story was originally published on CBC.ca

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