Accessibility news and events

You are cordially invited to celebrate the 2024 United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities with a flag raising at the City of Ottawa.  

The UN theme for 2024 is “Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future.” 

Date: Tuesday, December 3 

Time: 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. 
Location: 110 Laurier Avenue, Festival Plaza at City Hall (outside) and Jean Pigott Place  

RSVP: Please use the Registration Form to sign-up for the event.   

Please join the City of Ottawa as we celebrate this historic day.

The event will include a Proclamation by Deputy Mayor Laine Johnson, who will mark December 3 as International Day of Persons with Disabilities in Ottawa. For the first time in Ottawa, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities flag will be raised outside in the Festival Plaza. 

To ensure inclusion, the following supports will be provided:   

• American Sign Language (ASL) and Langue des Signes Québécoise (LSQ) interpretation in the spoken language 

• Continuous real-time captioning in both English and French  

• Personal support worker 
   

Please register by 4:00pm on December 2, 2024.

Please let us know when you register if you require any additional accessibility accommodations to fully participate in the event.  

We look forward to celebrating with you!   

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