Accessibility news and events

On Thursday, May 30 the City of Ottawa celebrated our 21st AccessAbility Day. At City Hall, we celebrated the contributions and leadership of people with disabilities in our communities, highlighted some of the work that the City has undertaken to increase accessibility and reflected on how we can all work together to achieve a more accessible and inclusive society. It was a huge success!  

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe kicked off the event with a proclamation of AccessAbility Day in Ottawa. City Manager Wendy Stephanson highlighted some of the City’s achievements in the last year. Councillor Marty Carr, Liaison to the Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC), spoke about the Committee and the dedication of members to increasing accessibility for all. The AAC’s Vice Chair, Dr. Holl Ellingwood, spoke about how the growing population of persons with disabilities in our City makes accessibility more of a necessity than ever. Finally, our keynote speaker, Phillip Turcotte, explained how the history of government exclusionary policies towards people with disabilities have resulted in a loss of diversity in our communities and quality of life for those individuals.

You can find a recording of the event on the City's YouTube channel.

The afternoon of the event kicked off the consultations for the new City of Ottawa Municipal Accessibility Plan (COMAP), a multi-year strategy that demonstrates the City’s commitment to making accessibility a part of everyday life for residents, visitors and staff. Participants were grouped to discuss barriers and opportunities for people with disabilities in Ottawa.  

A reminder that as we develop our new COMAP, we also want to hear from you! Your input is important as we work to identify, prevent and remove accessibility barriers from our programs, services and facilities. Please visit our Engage Ottawa page for more information on how to get involved.  

The City of Ottawa recently hosted a virtual public information session and discussion on emergency preparedness for persons with disabilities. Coordinated by the Accessibility Office, the session included presentations from staff in the Office of Emergency Management and Ottawa Public Health who provided information and resources with a focus on key emergency preparedness considerations for those living with disabilities.

There has been an undeniable increase in climate-related emergencies over the past number years including heavy winds and tornadoes, heavy rainfall and flooding, as well as extreme cold and heat events. Additionally, given that the City is the nation’s capital, political demonstrations and protests have equally contributed to various recent emergency events and responses.

As such, when planning for emergencies, whether that requires sheltering in place or evacuating, all residents, including those with disabilities, must consider emergency planning that is tailored to each personal situation.

During the presentations, staff in the Office of Emergency Management highlighted the importance of social connections and personal supports, assistive devices, including back-up options in the event of a power outage, as well as considerations for the management of your health, including ensuring you have an adequate supply of medication, if possible.

Staff in Ottawa Public Health also presented on the diversity of our personal experiences, and that emergency preparedness is definitely not “one size fits all”. Staff went onto explain various considerations to keep in mind for either sheltering in place or evacuating, such as providing your emergency contacts with extra keys to be able to access your home, as well as important elements to include in your emergency kit and/or a go bag, not forgetting to include any supplies needed for pets and service animals.

Following the presentations, participants had the opportunity to engage with City staff from both teams with their own concerns, questions and feedback based on their personal experiences from past events.

Staff in the City’s Accessibility Office will be compiling all feedback, either shared during the event itself, as well as through the evaluation survey and all communications received post-event, and will share this with staff in the Office of Emergency Management and Ottawa Public Health for their awareness and establishment of future actions.

For those unable to attend the virtual event live, you can watch the recording on the City’s YouTube channel. 

Keep in touch with the Accessibility Office and get accessibility-related updates through the Accessibility Spotlight. Sign up using the City's eSubscriptions sign up form to receive the monthly e-newsletter directly to your email.

For information on or to receive previous Accessibility Spotlight articles, contact:

Accessibility Office
City of Ottawa
accessibilityoffice@ottawa.ca