One in five Canadians over the age of 15 have a disability; that is approximately 6.2 million individuals. Individuals with disabilities are impacted daily by barriers to accessible information, independent access to facilities, to employment, transportation, and accessible communication supports. As a result, there is a need of greater awareness and opportunities for persons with disabilities.
National AccessAbility Week is an opportunity to celebrate accessibility and increase efforts to achieve the goal of becoming a fully accessibility community. At the May 23 Counties Council meeting, Warden Sayeau drew Council’s attention to National AccessAbility Week, which was May 26 to June 1. But the awareness which the week is aimed at creating needs to carry on through the rest of the year.
Warden Sayeau said, “Leeds and Grenville extends recognition to all persons with disabilities and offers support for National AccessAbility Week as an opportunity to celebrate accessibility as a National concern, while continuing to work locally to achieve the goal of becoming an inclusive community by eliminating barriers.”
The United Counties of Leeds and Grenville Accessibility Advisory Committee is committed to making Leeds and Grenville an inclusive community for all its residents and visitors. Increased social and economic inclusion of persons with disabilities has positive economic and social benefits for persons with disabilities, for business, the economy and society in general.
With respect to the Committee’s work, Chair Dana Farcasiu said “Our Committee is made out of passionate people from different parts of our community, with diverse areas of expertise and a lot of different perspectives. Together with the Counties Council and Staff, we are committed to achieve barrier free accessibility for persons with disabilities living, visiting, and working in our beautiful Counties. Our vision is that services, programs, infrastructure and buildings across the Counties be accessible equally to all.”