National Access Awareness Week ‘95

CROSS-COUNTRY CHECK-UP:

WHAT ARE PROVINCES DOING FOR NAAW ACROSS CANADA? PLENTY!

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND:
The primary focus of the activities we are implementing during National Access Awareness Week on P.E.I. will be on the theme, learning. The activities will be an opportunity for all involved to see the potential in persons with disabilities and hopefully create a better understanding.

For our kickoff, an invitational breakfast will be held in our capital city, Charlottetown. An invitation will be extended to all our MPs, MLAs, directors and managers of government departments, corporate sponsor representatives, National Member Organizations, municipal officials and other disability organizations. Our objective is to introduce the theme of NAAW and its impact on our province and its people.

Display presentations in malls, schools and communities will incorporate literature and technical equipment in order to expand general knowledge about people with disabilities. The main focus of these displays is how technical equipment can be used as a tool or aid to complete everyday tasks, i.e. adjusting only the means, if the ability is there.

As a follow-up to the presentations, we hope to involve elementary schools and special education classes from different regions of the island in a poster competition, applying their skill and creativity to the NAAW theme.

During the week, we will also hold an integrated bowling activity, involving seniors with disabilities and other seniors. We will follow this event with a short presentation on the theme, learning.

We are encouraging other associations involved with NAAW to hold an open house. We will also be disseminating information about the Week through media and on the placemats of a variety of restaurants and hospital cafeterias.

YUKON:
National Access Awareness Week Yukon has an exciting campaign planned for 1995. We are expanding into two communities, assisting to establish NAAW committees and organize events promoting awareness and action.

In keeping with this year’s focus on learning, scheduled events in Whitehorse include a series of workshops hosted by Yukon College, highlighting issues of accessibility to post-secondary education.

Catalina Colaci, Coordinator of the Learning Assistance Centre/Special Education Services at Yukon College, will speak on "Focusing on Strengths" at our Legislative Luncheon. Catalina has recently completed a Staff Handbook focusing comprehensively on issues of accessibility at Yukon College. A Student Handbook is in process.

NAAW will also be involving students at the primary and secondary levels in a poster campaign and an essay writing project, respectively, to promote awareness of accessibility within schools.

Local business in Whitehorse will be challenged to participate in NAAW by exploring access issues within their establishments.
An innovative new learning initiative linking education and employment training began in Whitehorse this spring. Challenge-Community Vocational Alternatives, in collaboration with Yukon College, both local partners with NAAW Yukon, developed a Commercial Kitchen Skills Training Project designed to enhance opportunities for persons with disabilities.

BRITISH COLUMBIA:
Across British Columbia, communities large and small are developing high-impact activities for Canada’s National Access Awareness Week. To date, 26 Local Organizing Committees are working on plans with B.C. Coordinators Cathy Lafortune and Kris Stanbra for what promises to be the biggest and best NAAW ever seen in B.C.

B.C.’s Provincial Kickoff will take place in Kamloops, where Provincial Organizing Chair Betty Cadre is pulling together a kickoff breakfast at the Stockmen’s Hotel. Invited guests include Premier Harcourt; the Hon. Dan Miller, Minister of Skills, Training and Labour, who is the newly appointed minister responsible for disability issues and has recently opened the Office for Disability Issues in Victoria; the Hon. Joan Smallwood, Minister of Housing, Recreation and Consumer Services, who has promised Kamloops a 46-unit accessible housing project; and the Hon. Art Charbonneau, Minister of Education, whose ministry has created a 1-800 Special Education Hotline and ties in with our 1995 theme, learning.

The breakfast will be followed by a learning action forum which will examine the range of learning opportunities for people with disabilities in the Kamloops area, identify gaps and develop an action plan to assist Kamloops’ citizens to "Access the Future."

Elsewhere in B.C., Face to Face employment awareness programs will be hosted in Trail, Salmon Arm, Vancouver, Kamloops and newcomer Victoria. Maple Ridge will also focus a project on access to employment. Fort St. John, Campbell River, Spences Bridge and Terrace will assess community accessibility, and Kelowna will produce a new "Access Guide." Kelowna, Fort St. John and Fernie hope to establish or revive Mayor’s Advisory Committees, and Cranbrook, Golden and Salmon Arm will work with B.C. Coordinators on "Learning to Work in Partnership" workshops. Powell River will be working on a Housing Registry, while Richmond, another access leader, will focus on making business more accessible.

Vernon will host a Poverty Luncheon, where government officials from all levels will "live" in someone else’s shoes, eating chicken cordon bleu or Kraft dinner, depending on their "new" financial circumstances. Spillimacheen will hold a Spilly Chili Cookoff at the completely accessible grounds of Columbia SOIL, while Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody will "Walk, Run and Roll" at Rocky Point Park in conjunction with FitWeek. Parksville plans improvements to commercial, residential and recreational access and will be working with others on a television documentary.

Vancouver’s BC Tel Employment Equity department will be setting up displays in its offices to promote awareness.

SASKATCHEWAN:
The Saskatchewan Committee has been focusing on two areas of learning: (1) providing opportunities for others to learn about access issues; and (2) making programmers aware of improving access to learning for people with disabilities.

This year, we have invited all schools in the province to participate in the Accessible School of the Future Contest. There are two categories: Grade 7 to 9 and Grade 10 to 12. Contestants must demonstrate, on video and with printed support material, their knowledge of specific disabilities and accessibility issues relating to facilities and access to learning.

Contestants must show how a school would be made accessible for certain disabilities a student might have. A presentation must be given to their classmates or school assembly and the school principal must send a letter of endorsement for the student’s project.

We are also involved in the development of new resources for learning. In partnership with Saskatchewan Association for Community Living, a training booklet for volunteers and caregivers on people with intellectual disabilities is being developed. In partnership with the Saskatchewan Cerebral Palsy Association, a project to promote an awareness book on cerebral palsy for children, written by a young girl with cerebral palsy, is also underway.

Finally, in partnership with the Gary Tinker Foundation, an agency that provides assistance to people with disabilities in the north, NAAW Saskatchewan is addressing the specific needs of northerners.

NEW BRUNSWICK:
In New Brunswick, a provincial executive committee and a larger provincial organizing committee have been developing strategies and initiatives for implementation among the provincial partners. We also have approximately 30 municipal advisory committees creating projects at the local community level.

A new provincial action plan for disability-related issues is being finalized for presentation to the provincial government at a legislative breakfast and press conference during NAAW. It’s called "Objective Year 2003 -- A Foundation for Persons with Disabilities Living in New Brunswick." An annual report will then be prepared to be released during each subsequent NAAW as to the status of the implementation of each recommendation. Consumers, advocates and other stakeholders have been actively consulted as to the content of the action plan, followed by eight public regional forums to respond to a draft version of the plan. The final document will be ready for NAAW.

Local committees and the provincial committee are also working on a number of additional projects, including a disability awareness program for schools, promotion of resources to enable persons with disabilities to get education and training, and barrier-free access issues. New Brunswick is also participating in the Face to Face employment project.

MANITOBA:
In Manitoba, a number of activities related to learning have been organized. Here is a sample of the major activities that will be taking place:

The Employment Committee in Winnipeg is planning a NAAW Employers’ Breakfast on Thursday, June 1 from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Norwood Hotel, 112 Marion Street. A panel composed of four consumers with disabilities and four employers will discuss areas such as: breaking employment barriers; accommodations in the workplace; how to work with employment agencies; and how to become comfortable with people with disabilities; Panelists will speak from their own perspectives. The breakfast will be a celebration of the successes achieved in employing individuals with disabilities, and will offer opportunities for questions and informal networking between consumers and employers.

The Governor General’s Study Conference, which occurs every four years, was created to improve decision-making among Canadian leaders likely to occupy high-level leadership positions in the future, to facilitate progress in management/labour relations, and to broaden understanding by the participants of a variety of current Canadian issues. The theme of this year’s study conference is "The Employee and Employer: Redefining the Working Relationship for a Stronger Canada."

Given that the study conference will be in Winnipeg during the week of NAAW, the Manitoba Labour Education Centre, the Manitoba Federation of Labour and the North West Company are sponsoring a luncheon panel on June 4. The session will be held at the North West Company and will provide a learning experience for conference participants in various aspects of the employment of people with disabilities, including the changing nature of the work force and the impact on people with disabilities, and ways of more fully accommodating people with disabilities in a variety of work settings.

The Kids on the Block puppet troupe from Winnipeg’s Independent Living Resource Centre will perform at the International Children’s Festival on Saturday, June 3. Through puppetry, children are made more aware of disability issues and how to relate to people with disabilities in everyday situations.

The Brandon Access Advisory Committee, which coordinates NAAW activities in Brandon, will be holding a workshop on learning disabilities. The session will focus on transitions from secondary to post-secondary education and to employment for people with learning disabilities. The main presenter is Lorem Brinckerhoff, Director of the Learning Support Centre at Boston University.

The Steinbach Branch of the Manitoba League of the Physically Handicapped will hold a barbecue and disability awareness session on Saturday, May 27 at the Steinbach Museum. A guest speaker will focus on the issues of concern to people with various disabilities and how individuals deal with these daily.

NOVA SCOTIA
Communities across Nova Scotia are focusing their activities to illustrate the importance of learning in order to "Access the Future."

NAAW -- Nova Scotia will be one of the sponsors assisting in the production of a special training video by the Halifax County Parks and Recreation Department. This permanent resource will be used to instruct summer staff on a number of disability issues, including awareness and sensitivity, as they relate to the provision of municipal recreation and leisure programs.

On June 2, the Public Service Alliance of Canada is hosting a day of workshops and a panel discussion called "Challenge Communication," organized by a committee of federal employees who are deaf. The aim of the committee is to enable their colleagues and supervisors to learn about the special needs of deaf individuals in the workplace and other aspects of Deaf culture.

The Amherst NAAW Committee will conduct speaking engagements in schools and, in partnership with local sponsors, will arrange a trivia contest on the radio station. Face to Face, the employment initiative focusing on a day of job shadowing, will once again be happening in Halifax/Dartmouth, Sydney, Bridgewater and Yarmouth. On May 31, NAAW -- Nova Scotia will host the annual legislative breakfast and presentation of the Hourglass Action Awards at the Halifax Sheraton. This combined activity will be attended by provincial politicians and representatives of disability groups from across the province.
NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR:
In the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, there are 12 local organizing committees working on NAAW ’95.

Under provincial activities, there will be the legislative breakfast that has been very successful for the past four years. Members of the House of Assembly (34 of 52 Members attended last year) and persons with visible and non-visible disabilities have a chance to learn and share information.

Another activity is the Premier’s Award for Excellence in Access and Awareness. For the past four years this award has recognized individuals, organizations and businesses that have made outstanding contributions to access and awareness for persons with visible and non-visible disabilities.

Locally, St. John’s is planning a municipal breakfast and education forum. The Face to Face project will take place in St. John’s, Corner Brook, Marystown and Grand Falls/Windsor. Labrador West is looking into doing a project similar to Face to Face, bringing employers and persons with disabilities together to learn from one another.

Other local activities which may take place are debates, school presentations, business seminars, and other activities that recognize changes in accessibility that have taken place in these communities throughout the past year.

ONTARIO:
There will be a number of events going on throughout Ontario during National Access Awareness Week. Here are some of the highlights happening in different Ontario communities:

Ottawa is holding a variety of community events all week. A wheelchair obstacle course is just one example. There will also be social and recreational activities.

Guelph Services for the Physically Disabled will be holding a kickoff luncheon on May 29 at the College Inn in Guelph. Guest speaker is Joanne Bouw, who represented Canada in 1992 at the Paralympics in Barcelona.

East Parry Sound will host the NAAW Ontario closing ceremonies on June 4 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Almaguin Highlands Secondary School in South River. They will be concentrating on showcasing local talent through a talent show featuring persons from the community, the high school and the local Association for Community Living.

In Parry Sound, schools will be invited to The Friends office for a talk about access awareness and a tour of the facility. They are also planning a wheelchair rally and simulation exercises.

Thunder Bay will be holding the Face to Face program. Welland will staff a community booth throughout the week, distributing posters and other materials. Special NAAW events will also be held in other communities across the province.


MOVING TO INCLUSION: PHYSICAL EDUCATION

A resource was recently released into every school in Canada to assist teachers of physical education to include a student with a disability into their ongoing classes. "Moving to Inclusion" is a disability-specific resource that details practical tips for equipment modification, adaptation to rules and teaching tips. It is organized according to specific disabilities and is written based on the components of the physical education curriculum.

The abridged version of "Moving to Inclusion," which was delivered to each school, contains nine separate booklets that help students to become more active if they are amputees; are physically awkward; have multiple disabilities; have cerebral palsy; are blind or visually impaired; are deaf or hard of hearing; have an intellectual disability; or use a wheelchair. There is also a booklet dedicated specifically to skiing, because of the uniqueness of this sport.

For schools that may have a particular interest in any of the above areas, a more complete version of each resource is also available to schools at minimal cost.

"Moving to Inclusion" also has a leadership development component. By the end of the current school year, there will be 400 leaders from coast to coast who can conduct local school in-services and be available as a resource person.

For more information, contact the Active Living Alliance for Canadians with a Disability at 1-800-771-0663.


LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR CANADA’S ACCOMMODATION INDUSTRY

Lloyd Axworthy, Minister of Human Resources Development Canada, has signed an agreement with the Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) to support "the development of training materials, policies and procedures to ensure that the accommodation industry becomes fully accessible to travellers with disabilities."

Access Canada, a program for the accommodation industry across the country, was created to give members of this industry the information and the tools to adapt their properties to ensure mature travellers and people with disabilities receive the same level of service as their other guests.

The initial stage included development by the Alberta Hotel Association of "Access Canada: A Barrier-Free Standards and Rating Program Operator’s Manual" outlining hotel building and service requirements.

With funding and assistance from the Status of Disabled Persons Secretariat of Human Resources Development, HAC is now producing materials for hotels to use in staff awareness and sensitivity training. Kits will contain trainers’ and staff manuals, handbooks, videos with support documentation for group discussion, signage and marketing plans. Inspection and administrative procedures will also be developed.

Ongoing enthusiastic cooperation from such organizations as the Canadian Paraplegic Association, Kéroul and the March of Dimes has been received. These groups and others will be consulted to ensure the end product satisfies their needs.


NEADS RELEASES EDUCATION RESOURCES

The National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS) has published "An Annotated Bibliography of Printed Materials on Post-Secondary Access and Accommodations." This bibliography presents various materials, from guidebooks to accessibility studies to pamphlets, that are available from universities and colleges across Canada. It evaluates them and places them in a context that will empower students with disabilities.

This 66-page bibliography will also be of assistance to service providers interested in reviewing the approaches to services and program delivery taken at 90 schools throughout Canada.

"Reflections and Actions for an Accessible Post-Secondary Environment" has been created for faculty members and service providers who are considering accommodations for students with disabilities. It has been written in a proactive way to reflect the perspectives of students and graduates with disabilities as it addresses the challenges of the post-secondary setting. A number of sections of the package will empower students to organize themselves and advocate for change on their campuses.

The eight sections look at key topics of concern: creating an accessible environment; establishing the most effective services for students with disabilities; starting and maintaining an advocacy group; acquiring funding to go to school; and realizing employment opportunities after graduation.

Both of the above reports have been prepared with funding support from the Disabled Persons Participation Program, Human Resources Development Canada. They are available from NEADS for $15.00 each. Call (613) 233-5963 (voice/TTY).


COMMERCIAL KITCHEN SKILLS TRAINING PROJECT

Challenge -- Community Vocational Alternatives is a supported employment agency based in Whitehorse, Yukon. In fact, it is the only such agency in the territory. As such, this organization is often involved in program development as well as implementation. An example is its new Commercial Kitchen Skills Training Project.

The development of this particular project was based on four key indicators. First, many of our consumers had very few marketable skills. Second, our research indicated that, in general, the highest percentage of our placements were in commercial kitchens. Third, developing a significant level of motivation for the project participants was critical. Finally, Challenge recognized that employers’ needs must be considered.

To meet all of these needs, the project was structured as a two-part process. A seven-week course was developed in consultation with Yukon College and was delivered by that institution’s Coordinator of Kitchen Services in its training kitchen. Following the classroom session, each participant was provided with an eight-week work experience placement in a local commercial kitchen. Following completion of the work experience, all participants will return to the college for a one-day evaluation.

Each successful participant will be awarded a certificate of completion with a detailed description of the skills learned. The certificate of completion will serve as a concrete statement to the students. It also provides proof of skills and training to potential employers when the participants begin to seek employment.

Challenge also included a financial incentive in this project. Each student has been made an employee of Challenge for both the college and work experience portions of the project. Wages of $7.50 per hour have been paid based on attendance. The employer relationship with Challenge has also resolved liability and Workers’ Compensation concerns.

This project has been funded by Human Resources Development Canada and by the Territorial Department of Education. Funding included wages for the participants, as mentioned above, as well as funding for job coaches, the college instructor, a project coordinator and necessary materials. In addition, several local agencies and organizations served on an ad hoc advisory committee. These included the Department of Education, Health and Social Services, the local high school, Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Learning Disabilities Association of the Yukon and Yukon Association of Community Living.


NATIONAL ACCESS AWARENESS WEEK 1995

May 29 to June 4, 1995

The slogan is: "Access the Future!"
The theme is: Learning

NAAW CORPORATE SPONSORS

Ms. Karen McKenzie, Manager, Human Rights and Employee Appeals
Air Canada
P.O. Box 6002
Toronto, ON L5P 1B4
(416) 676-4432
Fax: (416) 676-2068

Ms. Lil Krstic, Associate Director of Telecommunications & Disability Issues
Stentor Communications
160 Elgin St., 22nd Fl.
Ottawa, ON K1G 3J4
(613) 781-2561
Fax: 781-3514

Ms. Marie Tellier, Employment Equity Coordinator
Canadian National
935 de 1 Gauchetiere W. 6th Fl.
Montreal, QC H3B 2M9
(514) 399-3666
Fax: (514) 399-7721

Ms. Lynda White, Coordinator, Employment Equity
Canada Post Corporation
Head Office, Bldg. B Stn. 59
Ottawa, ON K1A 0B1
(613) 734-8595
Fax: (613) 734-7186

Ms. Gail Morrell, Vice President, News Marketing and Corporate Services
CTV Television Network Ltd.
42 Charles St. E.
Toronto, ON M4Y 1T5
(416) 928-6030
Fax: (416) 928-6265


NAAW NATIONAL VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS

Active Living Alliance for Canadians with a Disability
Allergy and Environmental Health Association
Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC)
Canadian Abilities Foundation
Canadian Association for Community Living (CACL)
Canadian Association of the Deaf (CAD)
Canadian Association of Independent Living Centres (CAILC)
Canadian Chamber of Commerce
Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB)
Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work (CCRW)
Canadian Hard of Hearing Association (CHHA)
Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)
Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA)
Canadian Paraplegic Association (CPA)
Canadian Rehabilitation Council for the Disabled (CRCD)
Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD)
DisAbled Women’s Network (DAWN) of Canada
Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM)
Foundation on Independent Living
Hotel Association of Canada
Learning Disabilities Association of Canada (LDAC)
National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS)
National Network for Mental Health
Neil Squire Foundation
One Voice Seniors Network
People First of Canada
Voiceprint


NAAW NATIONAL COORDINATOR:
Launel J. Scott
National Access Awareness Week
Ottawa, ON K1A 0M5
(819) 953-5005 (Voice/TTY) or (306) 653-7232


NAAW PROVINCIAL COORDINATORS:

BRITISH COLUMBIA:
Kris Stanbra
(604) 365-3500

Cathy LaFortune
(604) 365-2520

ALBERTA:
Norma Lorincz
(403) 420-0898 (Voice/TTY)

YUKON:
Barb Curtis
(403) 668-2938

NORTHWEST TERRITORIES:
Ron Porter
(403) 873-8230

SASKATCHEWAN:
Duna Bayley
(306) 789-1888

MANITOBA:
Colleen Watters
(204) 956-0475

ONTARIO:
Betty Davidson
(416) 977-7988

QUEBEC:
Brigette Bedard
(514) 527-1028

NEW BRUNSWICK:
Denis Ryan
(506) 452-1112 (Voice/TTY)

NOVA SCOTIA:
Margo Condon
(902) 457-7253

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND:
Alex Poole
(902) 566-2224

NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR:
Kelly Heisz
(709) 728-2588 (Voice/TTY)