Posts

An intimate 90-minute conversation with former Deputy Minister, Yazmine Laroche, as she reflects on her life and career in the public service. Ms. Laroche will dive into her personal experiences, career highlights and will speak about the importance of removing barriers to ensure full participation of persons with disabilities in society.  The dialogue will also offer perspectives on what has been achieved and what we can do to continue making progress in advancing accessibility. 

To mark the 2022 International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the Canadian Accessibility Network and Statistics Canada will be co-hosting a panel on deafblindness.

This informative session will provide insights into the Deafblind community, share inclusive practices, and address misconceptions. The panel will feature perspectives and lived experiences from two Deafblind individuals, as well as a representative from an organization that provides Deafblind community services. Learn more about our panelists below!

Uli Egger, Accessibility Specialist at the Rick Hansen Foundation, will provide an overview of two accessibility education courses offered through the Rick Hansen Foundation (RHF). Accessible Spaces 101 and the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification (RHFAC) Training Course offer individuals the opportunity to enhance their knowledge of universal design and provide an introduction to the RHF method and standards for measuring and rating the level of meaningful access of buildings and spaces.

Dean Mellway, Special Advisor within the READ Initiative at Carleton University, will present a case study on how the RHF accessibility certification standards are being applied to rate the level of accessibility of over 40 sites on Carleton’s campus.

Join us for an in-person reception to celebrate READ’s achievements from the past decade, acknowledge key milestones, and recognize our founding members, long-time contributors, and partners.

Light refreshments will be provided. 

The “Increasing Accessibility with Assistive Technology” session will be an engaging, collaborative discussion about how to make workplaces increasingly accessible and best suited for the transition from education into work. 

Accessibility plans are an important step towards enacting change within an organization. But creating an accessibility plan and implementing it can be challenging, especially for organizations that are developing plans for the first time. At this CAN Connect Forum, panelists with many years of accessibility planning experience will share their expertise, best practices, and tips related to:

• Involving and including persons with disabilities in the process
• Drafting plans that lead to meaningful change within an organization
• Implementing plans and getting others on board
• Going beyond compliance and enacting culture change
• Where to go for advice, resources, and support

This interactive workshop will introduce the topics of disabilities and accessibility in the university environment in general, and specific to Carleton University. We will explore the Why, What, and How in the context of student services, from relevant policies and trends at Carleton, to disability related accommodations and universal design in higher education.