Creating Accessible Public Spaces in St.Thomas

                                                       October 30, 2018 at 5:00-8:00pm

You are invited to a FREE Accessibility Workshop!

Our main streets have a variety of accessibility barriers that prevent customers and community members with disabilities from accessing all the spaces they need and want. The Ontario BIA Association (OBIAA) is hosting community conversations around the province to identify main street and public space accessibility barriers and solutions.

This forum will inform the development of a new handbook that aims to assist BIAs, businesses, property owners and local governments to tackle these built environment accessibility barriers together. Common main street and public space barriers will be identified and practical and applied solutions offered.

Who should attend this session?  

• Local and neighbouring BIA board members and staff
• Business and Property owners
• Community members with various accessibility needs
• Municipal staff and Councillors
• Accessibility Advisory Committee members
• Staff and clients of disability organizations
• Other accessibility advocates.  

Know someone who fits this description?  Please share this invitation with them.

This location is accessible and food and refreshments will be provided.

Parking:

View map of available parking.

Accommodations/Allergies:

When completing the registration form, please indicate any accommodations required as well as any food allergies. We will contact you to discuss. Two weeks advance notice of need for accommodations is requested.

Why are we holding this forum?

Accessible main streets and public spaces are vital for our community health and well-being. As our population ages (there are now more people over the age of 65 than under 14), the number of individuals with disabilities is rapidly increasing.

Disabilities are not always permanent, nor mostly mobility related. Some disabilities are temporary, while others intermittent or progressive, and most of us are likely to have had at least one of these at some point in our life. More than 71% of disabilities are “invisible” and only 2% of people with disabilities use a scooter or wheelchair to get around. How much do you know about the barriers experienced by people with invisible disabilities and what we can do to remove those obstacles?

In order for people to age in place (not have to move to a more accessible community) and for allresidents to be part of daily life activities (shopping, working, participating in local events, meet friends for dinner, etc.), we need to ensure that accessibility barriers are addressed. Some barriers will be easier to tackle than others but we first need to identify them before we can determine how, and when, to remove and prevent them.

It’s the Law:  

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) was passed in 2005 with the goal to make Ontario accessible by 2025.  The AODA includes standards that address customer service, employment, communications, public spaces and transportation. All organizations with 1 or more employees (businesses, non-profits, government) must meet a number of requirements and compliance deadlines started in 2010 and continue until 2025.  Visit the Government of Ontario website for more information on the AODA.

Unable to Attend?

For those who are unable to attend in person but who would like to provide some input to this discussion, please complete this survey.  

Event Support:

The OBIAA Community Conversations That Matter events are part of a larger project, Accessibility on Main Street, funded by the Government of Ontario, the Ontario BIA Association and Accessibility Ontario.

This event is also made possible with the support of local sponsors.

Questions?

If you have questions about this forum, please contact:

Lisa Kelly, St. Thomas Coordinator

519-871-5472 | lisakelly811@hotmail.com