- 2019-2020
- 2021-2022
- 2022-2023
- Post-Pandemic Employment of Persons with Disabilities
- Accessibility Planning Tips and Best Practices
- Increasing Accessibility with Assistive Technology
- Accessibility in the Built Environment
- Insights into the Deafblind Community Panel
- Accessibility in Engineering Design
- Reflections on Accessibility: A Conversation with Yazmine Laroche
- AccessAbility Day 2023: Developments in Accessibility Legislation and Policies
- Pathways to Change: Indigenous Insights on Accessibility and Disability
2019-2020
CAN Summit 2019
On the eve of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we introduced CAN (the Canadian Accessibility Network); the new Pan-Canadian, multi-sectoral community that is advancing accessibility in Canada and beyond.
This single-day immersive event brought together present and future CAN partners to engage in thought provoking idea-sharing forums to yield those collective moments of inspiration that tackle barriers to accessibility and create change.
2021-2022
Showcasing Accessibility through the City of Ottawa
Tuesday, January 18, 2022
The Canadian Accessibility Network (CAN)’s first CAN Connect Forum: Showcasing Accessibility through the City of Ottawa!
During this lunchtime session, City of Ottawa’s Lucille Berlinguette-Saumure, Program Manager for Accessibility, and Megan Richards, Accessibility Specialist, facilitated a panel discussion with key members of their team as they showcased the City’s strategic initiatives, including an overview of the accessibility of City services, accessibility standards within the built environment and construction projects, and the City’s digital accessibility plan.
Watch the recording below:
Accessibility in Procurement
Tuesday, March 29, 2022
Deidre Guy, Founder and President of Inclusive Workplace and Supply Council of Canada (IWSCC), and Jeff Wilson, Founder and CEO of Adaptability Canada, share their knowledge and expertise related to accessibility in procurement.
Watch the recording below:
A Post-Secondary Conversation
Tuesday, April 26, 2022
Across Canadian post-secondary institutions, there are a variety of shared strengths and challenges regarding accessibility. This CAN Connect Forum provided an opportunity for attendees to interact in an informal, open environment, sharing experiences and learning about the successes and challenges faced at post-secondary institutions.
This event was not recorded.
2022-2023
Post-Pandemic Employment of Persons with Disabilities
Tuesday, May 17, 2022
This CAN Connect Forum provided the opportunity for attendees to interact in an informal, open environment, sharing what we’ve learned during the pandemic about employment of persons with disabilities and considering how we can identify and create more meaningful employment opportunities for persons with disabilities post pandemic.
This event was not recorded.
Accessibility Planning Tips and Best Practices
Tuesday, September 27, 2022
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 shared their expertise, best practices, and tips for organizations of all sizes.
Watch the recording below:
Increasing Accessibility with Assistive Technology
Tuesday, October 25, 2022
The “Increasing Accessibility with Assistive Technology” session provided an engaging, collaborative discussion about how to make workplaces increasingly accessible and best suited for the transition from education into work.
Facilitator & Moderator, David Banes, Distinctability’s internationally recognized ally and Assistive Technology expert, and panelists from Brain in Hand UK, the Ontario Disability Employment Network (ODEN), Fit First Technologies, and Ready, Willing and Able shared their thoughts and expertise on the latest supportive technology trends.
Watch the recording on the CAN YouTube channel.
Accessibility in the Built Environment
Tuesday, November 8, 2022
The “Accessibility in the Built Environment” session was an engaging presentation that helped attendees learn how to identify barriers to meaningful access for people who have vision, hearing, and mobility disabilities.
Uli Egger, Accessibility Specialist at the Rick Hansen Foundation, provided an overview of two accessibility education courses offered through the Rick Hansen Foundation (RHF). Dean Mellway, Special Advisor within the Accessibility Institute at Carleton University, presented a case study on how the RHF accessibility certification standards is being applied to rate the level of accessibility of over 40 sites on Carleton’s campus.
Watch the recording on the CAN YouTube channel.
Insights into the Deafblind Community Panel
Monday, December 5, 2022
To mark the 2022 International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the Canadian Accessibility Network (CAN) and Statistics Canada co-hosted a panel to provide insights into the Deafblind community, share inclusive practices, and address misconceptions.
Blindness is not the same for everyone. Deafness is not the same for everyone. There are a range of experiences and realities. The level of blindness and deafness ranges for everyone who is Deafblind. Thus, not everyone has the same methods of communications, needs, or accommodations.
Watch the recording on the CAN YouTube channel.
Accessibility in Engineering Design
Tuesday, February 21, 2023
Current building and accessibility codes represent basic, minimal standards that are often not accessible for all. By incorporating the lived experience of persons with disabilities, the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE) is working to identify infrastructure issues that are often overlooked in design, make adjustments that can be done easily at low cost, and establish flexible design approaches that can be readily modified in later use.
Alan Perks, Engineer-in-Residence at the Department of Civil Engineering, University of Ottawa and Past CSCE President will share examples of the work of the CSCE’s Task Force on Accessibility, which aims to accelerate accessibility and integrate Universal Design principles in engineering practice and education across Canada.
Tracy MacDonald, Senior Bridge Engineer with the New Brunswick Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, will speak about her experience navigating the built environment with a mobility disability and using her engineering background and lived experience to advocate for Universal Design.
Watch the recording on the CAN YouTube channel.
Reflections on Accessibility: A Conversation with Yazmine Laroche
Tuesday, March 21, 2023
CAN hosted a 90-minute conversation with former Deputy Minister, Yazmine Laroche, as she reflected on her life and career in the public service and the importance of removing barriers to ensure full participation of persons with disabilities in society. The dialogue offered perspectives on what has been achieved and what we can do to continue making progress in advancing accessibility.
Watch the recording on the CAN YouTube channel (in English).
Regardez l’enregistrement sur notre chaîne YouTube (en français).
AccessAbility Day 2023: Developments in Accessibility Legislation and Policies
Wednesday, May 31, 2023
CAN celebrated National AccessAbility Week and AccessAbility Day 2023 with a webinar event co-presented by the Canadian Accessibility Network, the City of Ottawa, and the Institute of Public Administration of Canada – National Capital Region. The event featured a Canada-wide discussion on accessibility policy at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels, featuring top institutions and public administration leaders.
Watch recording (English):
Watch recording (French):
Pathways to Change: Indigenous Insights on Accessibility and Disability
Tuesday, June 20th, 2023
CAN hosted an engaging and thought-provoking panel discussion that raised awareness about the unique barriers and realities faced by Indigenous persons with disabilities. The conversation fostered a deeper understanding of the perceptions of accessibility and disability within Indigenous communities and explore how we can work towards reconciliation and take action to build more inclusive societies that celebrate and support members of Indigenous communities who are disabled.
Watch the recording below: