A Generation in Motion

These days it’s hard to fathom, but barely a generation ago many people with disabilities were locked up, warehoused and denied access to the community— let alone the whole world. But times have changed, and a quantum shift from institutionalization to inclusion has paved the way, for many, towards a much greater level of social and economic participation.

We still have a ways to go, but suffice it to say that this generation of people with disabilities is at the beginning of a very exciting adventure— travel and accessible options are now more available than ever before. So, what will it take to get us to the next step?

One absolute prerequisite is a greater understanding of the need for global accessibility and then the wherewithal to ensure that new structures are built—and old ones reworked— with universal access in mind.

Few things are as annoying as that old “heritage argument.” You know the one…“We’d LOVE to make this place accessible, but it’s a historic building. It’s old and its integrity must be preserved, blah, blah, blah…” My favourite retort is to reference the Acropolis, which was made wheelchair accessible in time for the 2004 Olympic Games. If you want to talk ancient heritage and access, consider that this historical site, which was built in the fifth century B.C., is wheelchair friendly and physically accessible today!

There is more. All one has to do is consider the advertisers in this issue of Abilities and it becomes obvious that people with disabilities are increasingly regarded as consumers of travel services and accessible options. After all, there is not much point to visiting a holiday or business destination if accessible services, accommodation and places to eat are not available.

And there are supportive laws beginning to emerge like the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and more, both enacted and under consideration. Flawed as some of this legislation may be, the one thing that seems to hold common ground is the need to respect, encourage and even legislate accessibility.

Then there are the organizations, both consumer and service orientated, that are doing their part. Immediately springing to mind is Access Guide Canada, the Canadian Abilities Foundation’s (CAF) own online directory of accessible resources. This valuable service was initially supported by CIBC. It was launched in 2002 and is characterized by the fact that nearly 2,000 volunteers provided listings on 17,000 resources within 2,000 communities. Access Guide Canada is a tool for all who wish to find accessible resources, locally or nationally. Read more about it on page 46.

Recently, I had the good fortune of experiencing Kéroul’s Accessible Road first-hand. Kéroul is a Quebec-based organization that is pointing the way to accessible vacation and cultural opportunities throughout the province—and serving as an inspirational example of how a government department (Quebec’s Ministry of Tourism) and a community-based organization can work collaboratively for the common good. Read more about Kéroul and The Accessible Road on page 39.

Also of significance is the Rick Hansen Foundation’s Global Accessibility Initiative (GAI). CAF intends on partnering with this groundbreaking effort. One of the distinguishing characteristics (and there are many!) of the GAI is the fact that it will actually apply a rating scale to facilities to inform consumers of all-important details regarding accessibility; another is that the Rick Hansen Foundation intends to take this initiative global. Learn more in the next issue of Abilities.

On behalf of the CAF, I would like to take advantage of this opportunity to express gratitude to TD Bank for supporting a much-needed update of our Directory of Disability Organizations in Canada. The directory, compiled by CAF since 1997, is a unique and valuable tool for people with disabilities, their families, organizations and professionals. A resource for everyone, the updated directory will provide contact details and information as to which organizations are best suited to meet the varying needs of individuals with all types of disabilities. There is no other resource like this to be found anywhere. The online directory will be available on our website (www.abilities.ca) in the near future. The CAF salutes TD for ensuring that this resource will soon be available nationwide.

You can keep up to date on this exciting initiative through posts on our website, our Facebook page and Twitter (@abilitiescanada). You may also wish to stay abreast of this and many other opportunities by visiting our website and signing up for the Abilities Bulletin, our free monthly information packed email newsletter. 

Finally, if you are reading this before the holidays, please accept the best wishes of the board, staff and volunteers of the CAF; if you are reading this after the holiday season, we hope it was a good one and wish you the very best in the new year. Stay in touch!