Huron County, Ontario – This National AccessAbility Week, the County of Huron would like to express its sincere appreciation to the Huron County Accessibility Advisory Committee (HCAAC) for their invaluable contributions in making Huron County a more accessible community.
National AccessAbility Week takes place from May 26 to June 1, 2024. This year’s theme, “Forward Together: and Inclusion for All,” perfectly aligns with the mission and dedication of the HCAAC. HCAAC plays a vital role in assisting Huron County Council and participating municipalities in creating more accessible and inclusive communities. Through their vision, guidance, and advice, they have been instrumental in identifying and removing barriers that hinder accessibility.
In 2023, the HCAAC accomplished several significant milestones, including:
- Conducting 12 site reviews to assess accessibility and recommend improvements.
- Hosting the Huron County accessibility awards, which recognized individuals, businesses, and organizations that have implemented exceptional accessible initiatives.
- Providing updates and advice to the County Council and the Municipal Working Group on new government directives and regulations.
- Developing and delivering education campaigns and initiatives to raise awareness about accessibility.
- Collaborating with the County’s IT department to enhance online accessibility and providing digital accessibility training to all County of Huron employees.
- Reviewing and updating the Huron County Universal Design and Accessibility Guidelines in collaboration with the Planning and Development Department.
- Celebrating partner municipalities and their projects that remove barriers for accessibility such as the Ashfield Park’s new washroom by the Township of Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh and Clinton Downtown Core Accessibility Improvements by the Municipality of Central Huron.
“The County of Huron is fully committed to improving accessibility to make a more inclusive environment for everyone.” stated Sahil Kaushal, the County of Huron’s Inclusion, Accessibility, Equity, and Diversity (IDEA) Specialist. ”Over the past year, we have made significant strides in enhancing the accessibility of our County properties, as well as reviewing numerous community projects.”
The County of Huron recognizes that creating a truly accessible community requires the active involvement of its residents. Residents can contribute by raising awareness, advocating for inclusivity, reporting barriers, supporting inclusive businesses, volunteering with relevant organizations, promoting accessible communication, and participating in inclusive events.
Quick Facts:
- According to Statistics Canada, 27% of Canadians aged 15 years and older, or 8.0 million people, had one or more disabilities that limited them in their daily activities.
- Persons with disabilities often have multiple co-occurring disability types.
- Mental health-related disabilities among youth and working-age adults each increased by 8 percentage points from 2017, representing the largest increase among all disability types and all age groups.
- Women are more likely to have a more severe disability than men.
- In 2022, 6 in 10 persons with disabilities experienced barriers related to accessing indoor and outdoor public spaces.
To learn more about the Huron County Accessibility Advisory Committee and their ongoing efforts, please visit their website at https://www.huroncounty.ca/administration/accessibility/hcaac/.
Learn more about National AccessAbility Week: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/campaigns/national-accessability-week.html