SIMCOE, ON – MAY 20, 2014 – Norfolk County is celebrating National Access Awareness Week from May 25 to May 31, 2014. The week is an opportunity to highlight accessibility in Norfolk County and to call residents and businesses of the community to work toward equal access and full participation for people with disabilities.
“Norfolk County has worked hard to identify, remove and prevent barriers to persons with disabilities in our community”, said Mayor Dennis Travale. “We are committed to meeting the needs of everyone, and to implementing programs and initiatives that continue to make our community an inclusive and accessible place to live, visit and work.”
Norfolk County continues to work towards equal access to all through the Norfolk County Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC). The AAC is a volunteer citizen’s advisory committee to Norfolk County Council, providing advice on the identification, removal and prevention of barriers in the county’s by-laws, policies, programs and services. For more information on the county’s accessibility initiatives, visit the county’s accessibility page at
www.norfolkcounty.ca/government/accessibility
“In Norfolk County, people with disabilities represent a significant and growing part of our population,” said Norfolk County’s AODA Compliance Supervisor, Shelby Wilson. “Accessibility means more than just adding ramps or power door operators to buildings; it’s about changing attitudes to ensure people with visible or invisible disabilities are included so that our community is welcoming for all.”
Norfolk County is celebrating National Access Awareness Week (NAAW) with an event at the Port Dover Library on Tuesday, May 27, 2014 from 1pm to 5pm. The event includes keynote speaker Victoria Nolan, Paralympic Rower as well as a presentation from the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario speaking to the Provinces accessibility legislation. An accessibility exhibit featuring display booths and demonstrations of products and services to improve the quality of life for residents of our communities will be on hand.
“Don’t miss this opportunity to hear Paralympian Victorian Nolan tell her story as a blind, medal-winning rower for Team Canada,” said Norfolk County’s AODA Compliance Supervisor, Shelby Wilson. Norfolk County’s Accessibility Advisory Committee and the Norfolk County Library invite persons with disabilities, support persons, family, friends, and the business community to attend.
NAAW was first established in 1988 to promote better community access for people with disabilities. The week was created in response to a request from Rick Hansen following his 40,000 km Man in Motion World Tour, organized to raise awareness about the need for accessibility for people with disabilities. NAAW offers an opportunity to celebrate the work that is being done across the county to make buildings, programs and services more accessible for people with disabilities.
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For further information contact:
Shelby Wilson, AODA Compliance Supervisor
519.426.5870 Ext. 1268
Dennis Travale, Mayor
519.426.5870 Ext. 1220
