November 21, 2011

ACCESSIBILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE
PROMOTES AWARENESS OF
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
DECEMBER 3, 2011

Members of Lennox and Addington County’s Joint Accessibility Advisory Committee want to raise awareness of the United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities.  At a recent meeting, the Committee decided to highlight initiatives that have been undertaken locally in order to make the community more cognizant of this important day.

The United Nations first launched the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in 1992 and it has been observed on December 3rd of each year since that time.  The objective of this observance is to re-affirm and draw attention to the rights of people who live with disabilities.  It also seeks to increase awareness of gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.

“The integration of persons with disabilities in all aspects of life is an important objective for our Committee,” stated Ken Ackerman, Vice-Chair of the Accessibility Committee.  The mandate of the Joint Accessibility Advisory Committee is to advise the Councils of the County of Lennox and Addington, the Township of Addington Highlands, the Town of Greater Napanee, Loyalist Township and the Township of Stone Mills and the Board of Governors of Lennox and Addington County General Hospital on the preparation and implementation of annual accessibility plans.  These plans are developed to remove barriers for people with disabilities and ensure that no new barriers are created.  The Committee is comprised of seven members, four of which are persons with disabilities.

“Over the last few years, our Committee has reviewed plans for construction of new municipal buildings, as well as renovations to existing municipal service sites throughout Lennox and Addington,” Ackerman said.  “We also provide County Council and the local municipal Councils with advice on everything from how to make voting easier for persons with disabilities, to possible installations of accessible pedestrian crossing signals.”

The Committee also advises the County, local municipalities and the Hospital Board on the implementation of new accessibility legislation, such as the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).  The AODA was passed in 2005, with its goal to make Ontario accessible for people with disabilities by 2025.  

Ken Ackerman has been a member of the Accessibility Advisory Committee for two years and currently serves as the Committee’s Vice-Chair. As a visually impaired person, with only about 10% vision, Ken also helps other people with vision loss through volunteer work with the CNIB. Ken is optimistic about the accessibility gains being made. “The Committee’s work is making a real difference for people with disabilities in our community.  Perhaps by 2025, we won’t just celebrate on December 3rd – hopefully by then, every day will be easier for those of us living with disabilities.”

 Accessibility In Action Poster (2.18 MB)

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For further information, please contact:

Ken Ackerman      
Vice-Chair       
Joint Accessibility Advisory Committee   
613.354.5452        

Tracey McKenzie
Deputy Clerk
County of Lennox and Addington
613.354.4883