Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame hits a grand slam for accessibility

Writer Jon Higgins praised the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame for its accessibility efforts on induction weekend. Photo Credit: Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame

By Jon Higgins

Canadian Baseball Network

Located in St. Mary's, Ontario, the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame is significantly smaller than its rival South of the border.

What it lacks in size it more than makes up for in customer service.

“We pride ourselves on being friendly and accessible to all those in attendance. We think it’s so great to have the ceremony on a ball field as the idea of being inducted [on Saturday, June 16] into the Hall of Fame while standing at home plate is very exciting,” said Scott Crawford, the Hall's director of operations.

Being an individual in a wheelchair, I was concerned about getting around the location. Thanks to an army of volunteers any concerns that I had quickly vanished. The numerous volunteers at the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame made the experience quite inviting.

Another concern was the fact that the ceremony was held outside in a tent, which could be quite uncomfortable in the heat. Again, the army of volunteers make the experience quite relaxing and easily accessible. In order to address the temperature a number of fans were located throughout the structure.

After the induction ceremony, a highlight is the fact that former ball players remain to sign autographs. Its lineup can be quite long. It is so long that people are often forced to line up on the hill, which is about 50 feet away. Because of my lack of mobility this was not an option. Once again the army of volunteers came to the rescue and I was able to bypass the massive line of people and get a little piece of gold.

The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame exceeded my expectations and made the event joyful, relaxing, accessible, and, most importantly, barrier-free. After the pleasurable experience that I had, I am looking forward to next year's induction ceremony.