Clearview Township is celebrating National AccessAbility Week (NAAW) from May 28 to June 3, 2023. Each year during National AccessAbility Week, Canadians are encouraged to think about the barriers people with disabilities face and to find ways to help remove them.
2023 marks the eighteenth anniversary of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA). During this time, public, private, and non-profit organizations across Ontario have been working together to improve the everyday lives of people with disabilities.
History of National AccessAbility Week
- Ontario became the first jurisdiction in Canada to legislate a framework and timeline for making Ontario accessible. The goal of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) is to make Ontario fully accessible by 2025.
- National AccessAbility Week was established in 1987 following Rick Hanson's 40,000 km Man in Motion World Tour. "As part of the legacy of the Man in Motion World Tour, the Rick Hansen Foundation provided strategic leadership to create and implement National Access Awareness Week (NAAW) in partnership with federal and provincial governments across the country. The purpose of the program was to promote better community access for people with disabilities." - Rick Hansen Foundation.
It’s important for us to realize what accessibility means to our province – socially and economically. If people with disabilities cannot fully participate in our communities, we are missing out on our own potential. Accessibility is also about making everyone in our communities feel welcome. The small activities that most of us take for granted – playing in a park, watching a movie, dining in a restaurant – should be equally available for everyone. And don’t forget our seniors. Through the natural aging process, they may begin to experience barriers to everyday living that they once took for granted.
Clearview Township is an Inclusive Community
In Clearview Township, National AccessAbility Week is an opportunity to highlight accessibility awareness at the local level and an opportunity to celebrate the work that is being done across the Township to improve accessibility to information, programs, services, parks, arenas, community halls, and businesses.
Celebrating in Clearview!
Some of the accomplished improvements made in Clearview are:
- Assisting with the Small Halls and Accessibility recommendations for Council consideration.
- Providing accessible steps for Stayner Centennial Pool.
- Providing an adult change table in the Stayner Library and Community Center.
- Assisted with the implementation of tactile strip installation on new sidewalk and street junctions.
- Assisted with the implementation of high-visibility road signs being installed.
On-going Accomplishments
Clearview Township has a successful Accessibility Advisory Committee that meets monthly with open sessions that anyone can attend. The schedule of upcoming meetings as well as previous agenda and meeting minutes can be viewed on our website at www.clearview.ca/accessibility-advisory-committee.
Visit Us at Music, Market & Park It June 1st
The Clearview Accessibility Advisory Committee will be at the Music, Market & Park It Farmers’ Market on June 1st. Stop by ask some questions and provide suggestions for accessibility initiatives. There will also be information available.
Contact Us
If any member of the community has any comments, questions or concerns regarding accessibility matters in Clearview, they are welcome to contact any Accessibility Advisory Committee member or share their comments, questions, or feedback by telephone, in person, in writing or by email.
All contact information can be found on our website at www.clearview.ca/accessibility-advisory-committee.
For more information, please contact:
Tammy Gill
Director of Human Resources
Clearview Township
(705) 428-6230 ext. 255
tgill@clearview.ca