Most people were able to treat the recent cold and snowy weather as an inconvenience but for people with disabilities and limited mobility, it becomes a serious threat to their safety.

Zosia Ettenberg founded the Langley PosAbilities Society to help people with disabilities.

Despite working full time selling insurance from home, running the society and helping out in the community, this busy resident was trapped by Mother Nature during the recent cold and snowy weather.

Ettenberg said vital to her independence are her motorized wheelchair, cellphone and service dog.

But Langley's stretch of unseasonable winter weather caused problems for people in wheelchairs or with reduced mobility.

"When it's really, really cold and snowy like this, I can't shovel the walk and I can't brush the snow off my car," she explained during the height of the cold snap. "I haven't even been able to pick up my mail."

The doors on her modified van freeze up when rain turns to ice.

Ettenberg said inclement weather that sticks around forces people with disabilities to have to hole up at home or take risks.

She said her wheelchair gets stuck in the snow so she doesn't want to have to take risks.

"My fear is what if I get stuck, I can't go get help," she said.

Even being at home is no guarantee of safety. Ettenberg recounted how the power went out for several hours, leaving her stuck in a power lift recliner. No power meant no heat. She had her service dog and cats lie on top of her for a few hours until a home care aide came by at night.

People with disabilities or limited mobility have to think about ways to survive the cold that others don't. Ettenberg said people sitting in wheelchairs can't take the cold as much as people able to move around to warm themselves, and lap blankets get caught in chair mechanisms.

She recently had to spend $250 on custom boots that fit over her slip on shoes and ones that her service dog can help remove.

She encouraged people to reach out to neighbours during inclement weather.

"I'm hoping that if you know somebody that lives close by to you, knock on their door and see if they need anything or do anything," she said.

She would also like to see the community do better snow clearing, especially in the area of downtown Langley where there are many residents with scooters.

hcolpitts@langleyadvance.com