Edible Notables: Girl About Town
Robin Whyte gets things done—and always has. In her youth, that drive pushed her athleticism, but these days, it involves being a voice for accessibility in the culinary industry.
Growing up on the Saanich Peninsula, Robin was extremely athletic and enjoyed playing a variety of sports and riding horses. Her athleticism won her a university scholarship to play basketball at Australia National University, where she studied earth sciences and psychology. While studying abroad, she fell in love with travelling and backpacked around Europe before marrying her husband and becoming a mother to two active boys.
But life took an unexpected turn when she was 30 with a diagnosis of MS. “I had been experiencing dizziness and weakness in my legs,” Robin explains. “My thirties was challenging, as I had a particularly active course of the disease.” She required support to walk and had to give up her drivers’ licence at age 35. At home, she used a walker to get around but was embarrassed to use it in public. “It didn’t jive with my strong and athletic identity,” she says. 
By the time she reached her forties, the illness had stabilized and progression slowed, though she was left with some residual disability. These days, she gets around on a small mobility scooter. But she doesn’t let that put a damper on her zest for life or desire to make a difference. “I love my life and am a firm believer that attitude is everything. I choose to be happy, kind and positive, and so far it’s served me very well.”
Robin has decided to use her disability to help others by creating the website Girl About Town: Accessible Victoria. As a social person who loves going out, she sometimes finds it difficult to visit places that weren’t created with accessibility in mind. Her website posts reviews on local restaurants with pertinent information for those who need to know about a business’s accessibility. “There’s nothing more frustrating than learning that a restaurant you’ve been excited to check out is unable to accommodate you because there are stairs and no ramp, or the restroom is small and inaccessible.”
Of course, it’s not just important for patrons to know which restaurants they can visit with their wheelchairs or scooters—businesses can also use her experience as an informational resource. “It’s important for businesses to know what they’re doing right, as well as where they can improve,” says Robin. “This is why I always leave a large Girl About Town postcard for management with details of my soon-to-be-reviewed experience.”
As for the kinds of things should restaurants consider when designing or redesigning their space, Robin has some helpful tips, like making the entry way accessible, using a variety of table and seating arrangements with enough space for wheelchairs to manoeuvre round, and building lifts or ramps where needed. An accessible bathroom is a must—and remember that space is for customers, not storage. Also, welcome service animals, give guest extra time, and offer paper straws. “Finally, provide employee training,” Robin adds. “Training your staff about disability and accessibility awareness is crucial. Be helpful, patient and accommodating.”
Robin and Girl About Town is a voice for inclusion. “People with disabilities—20% of the population—love to go out and have a great time,” says Robin. “This segment of the market has been long ignored and it’s time for a change.” Plus, she adds, creating accessible spaces is not charity, it’s just good business. “Canadians with disabilities represent purchasing power worth a whopping $55 billion annually. This is a business case for inclusion!” Ultimately, Robin is proud to be a voice in a society where “diversity is celebrated and inclusion is becoming top of mind, as it should.”
The Edible Notables series is proudly sponsored by Beacon Law Centre.
