REGINA— Saskatchewan has joined provinces across Canada in recognizing May 28 to June 3, 2023, as National AccessAbility Week.
National AccessAbility Week recognizes the leadership, impact and voices of Canadians living with disabilities. It is also an opportunity to highlight work being done to remove barriers for people with disabilities and to reflect on ways to foster a more accessible and inclusive Canada.
National AccessAbility Week is proclaimed in partnership with Spinal Cord Injury Saskatchewan (SCI). Since 1964, SCI has worked collaboratively to build accessible and inclusive communities to ensure people with spinal cord injuries and other physical disabilities achieve independence, self-reliance and full community participation. Among their many services, SCI offers education, employment, rehabilitation and accessibility support.
"Our organization, in collaboration with the federal and provincial government, as well as other like-minded community-based organizations, is pleased to celebrate the valuable contributions and leadership of Canadians living with disabilities, highlight the work of people, organizations and communities that are working to remove barriers, and reflect on ongoing efforts to become a better, more accessible, more inclusive Saskatchewan and Canada,” SCI Sask Executive Director Launel Scott said.
The Accessible Saskatchewan Act was recently passed as a tool to prevent and remove accessibility barriers for persons with disabilities. The act allows government to establish accessibility standards through regulations on the built environment, information and communications, employment, transportation, service animals and procurement and service delivery. Government will soon develop an application and selection process to appoint members to the Accessibility Advisory Committee, which will be comprised of persons with disabilities and impacted stakeholders, who will make recommendations about accessibility standards. The government has also started work on the general regulations that require public sector bodies to develop accessibility plans.
To keep up to date with the progress of Saskatchewan's accessibility legislation, visit accessiblesk.saskatchewan.ca.
For more information about the supports and services that SCI Saskatchewan provides, please visit scisask.ca.
