Elevator break strands head of CP group in Canada in his apartment

From the Vancouver Sun:

VANCOUVER — Craig Langston (pictured) finally left the Vancouver apartment August 12 that has served as his virtual prison since July 28.

That was the day his building’s only elevator broke.

The president of the Cerebral Palsy Association of B.C., Langston uses a power wheelchair to get around.

He spent 15 days stuck in his second-floor suite.

“It is somewhat of a reality check that as much as we say we are an inclusive society, we are still having problems with people getting out of their homes,” he said.

Last month’s heat wave and problems getting the parts were to blame for the delay in fixing the elevator, said Linda Allan, a member of the board of the Andras Place Housing Co-operative, where Langston lives.

Allan said repair staff told her the heat wave played havoc with elevators, giving them extra service calls to handle.

“It was an extreme heat wave. They had many problems with elevators going down,” she said.

Eventually, Otis Elevators repaired the elevator.

“The day after the elevator went out, that was the hottest day of the year and that week just killed me,” Langston said.

“(Otis Elevators) should have anticipated additional breakdowns if indeed (elevators) are susceptible to temperatures,” he said.

The first thing Langston did once the elevator was up and running was get his glasses fixed. They had been broken for a week and he had no way of fixing them. He also had no way of getting to work.

His only social events were when friends dropped off groceries. He said he appreciated his friends’ help but loathes losing his independence.

“Yes, I am in a wheelchair, but I am very independent and I’ve had to rely on other people and that’s been very frustrating,” he said.

Allan said she called Langston to see how he was doing, but said the co-op board doesn’t have any formal procedures for assisting mobility-challenged members when an elevator breaks.