Fredericton Accessibility Consultation

What does an accessible Canada mean to you? Join us in announcing our project that will contribute to a planned federal accessibility legislation.

Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Wu Conference Centre - 1st Floor - Chancellor's Room
UNB Conference Services
6 Duffie Drive, Fredericton, NB (check location on map)
9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. (Light snacks will be served)
Project Announcement/Guest Speaker/Stakeholder Consultation
This event is hosted in collaboration with the CHHA New Brunswick Chapter

Register now for the event

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Background Information

About the Spotlight on Invisible Disabilities Project

The Canadian Hard of Hearing Association (CHHA) is one of five organizations selected to conduct national consultations to formulate recommendations through their members and stakeholders on the proposed federal accessibility legislation. CHHA is leading a partnership of 20 organizations in conducting consultations with members and the public to determine the issues that federal accessibility legislation must address to ensure equal access for those with an invisible disability. The goal of these consultations is to deeply engage with participants to determine the issues accessibility legislation must address and how it can bring federal institutions in Canada closer to achieving the goal of barrier free access for all.

About the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association (CHHA)

The Canadian Hard of Hearing Association (CHHA) is Canada's only consumer-based organization formed by and for Canadians living with a hearing loss. A national non-profit organization, CHHA works cooperatively with professionals, service providers, and government bodies to provide information about hearing loss issues and solutions. CHHA’s goal is to increase public awareness of hearing loss and to help Canadians with hearing loss fully integrate into Canadian society. CHHA represents the interests of over 3 million Canadians who are hard of hearing. CHHA has 23 branches, 6 provincial chapters and one national network.

CHHA New Brunswick Chapter is a self-help, consumer group which provides advocacy, support and educational activities to promote successful living with a hearing loss. For more information, email [email protected]

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Many Canadians continue to face barriers that affect their ability to participate in daily activities that most people take for granted. These could include:

• physical and architectural barriers that impede the ability to move freely in the built environment, use public transportation, access information or use technology;
• attitudes, beliefs and misconceptions that some people may have about people with disabilities and what they can and cannot do; and
• outdated policies and practices that do not take into account the varying abilities and disabilities that people may have.

In developing this new legislation, the Government of Canada is consulting Canadians both in person and online.

The Government of Canada is seeking your ideas to inform the development of this planned new legislation, including:

• feedback on the overall goal and approach;
• whom it should cover;
• what accessibility issues and barriers it should address;
• how it could be monitored and enforced;
• when or how often it should be reviewed;
• how and when to report to Canadians on its implementation; and
• how to raise accessibility awareness more generally and support organizations in improving accessibility.

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Consultation Tactics

Consultation participants are invited to examine the challenges facing Canadians with disabilities in times of transition, particularly:

1. youth as they transition from high school to university and university to the workplace;
2. veterans as they transition from service to civilian life; and
3. seniors as they transition out of the workforce and into retirement and healthy aging.

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Partners

Lead Spotlight Advisory Partners

• Canadian Hard of Hearing Association (CHHA)
• Learning Disabilities Association of Canada (LDAC);
• National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS);
• Royal Canadian Legion (RCL);
• Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work (CCRW); and
• Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA).

 

Spotlight Project Partners

• Canadian National Society of the Deaf-Blind;
• Canadian Deafblind Association;
• Communicaid for Hearing Impaired Persons;
• The Hearing Foundation of Canada;
• Canadian Academy of Audiology;
• Brain Injury Canada;
• ARCH Disability Law Centre;
• Media Access Canada;
• Inclusive Design Research Centre, OCAD University;
• Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion;
• Canadian Mental Health Association (Ontario);
• Neil Squire Society;
• Mental Health Commission of Canada;
• Speech-Language & Audiology Canada (SAC);
• Canadian Hard of Hearing Foundation