Willow’s Walk: Elkhart dedicates first Accessible Pedestrian Signal to pre-teen
ELKHART, Ind. — Imagine being at a crosswalk, not knowing when it's safe to go. That's what life was like for 12-year-old Willow Townsend, who happens to be blind.
We first shared her story back in May, when the City of Elkhart’s mayor, Rod Roberson, heard her plea for accessible crosswalks for those with disabilities.
Willow's dream of being able to cross the street by herself is now a reality after the city followed through on a promise to implement Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) downtown, starting the project with one of Willow’s frequent crosswalks at E Beardsley Ave. and N Main St.
“I’m thrilled I’m really glad these are popping up, I’m glad that we got them in, I’m surprised and amazed that they got them in so soon,” said Willow.
The city held a dedication ceremony Tues. evening to honor Willow’s bravery in asking Mayor Roberson for solutions to help her and generations to follow as well as the city’s diligence in getting the new audible and tactile signal in place.
“We’ve been doing ADA driven improvements in the city since 2011 and with the mayor’s leadership and the council’s leadership, we’ve recently doubled our budget for that and so we’re able to do more projects like this,” said Elkhart city engineer, Jeff Schaffer.
Willow’s mom, Ash-Lee Townsend, said in the process of watching her mayor keep a promise he made to her daughter, she’s seen Willow’s self-esteem blossom, knowing what she’s capable of when she uses her voice.
“It feels great, it feel great to be heard, it feels great to be seen and it feels great to know that you have someone representing you that actually cares about you… of course as a parent we want our children to be as independent as possible so, while some people may say okay well hold your kid’s hand, she’s not gonna be a kid forever. I shouldn’t have to hold her hand forever, she should have the same opportunities to cross and be independent as the rest of us are and so should the rest of our community. So, I’m really glad that we have this start right here and I’m excited to see what the rest of the city’s gonna get,” said Ash-Lee.
The sound of a simple beep now means something much bigger for Willow.
Freedom, independence, and proof that one voice can spark real change.
“I’ll probably walk the dog more now that I know there’s like crosswalks and stuff and I’ll be safe… I hope it impacts my life a good amount, because I want to start walking more now,” said Willow.