The Social Planning and Research Council of BC (SPARC BC) has designated Saturday, June 6th as Access Awareness Day.

“Celebrated annually on the first Saturday in June, Access Awareness Day is a comprehensive campaign to raise awareness about disability, accessibility, and inclusion.

Access Awareness Day has been made possible because of dedicated and inspired individuals who understand the importance of inclusion; the recognition that both the right and the opportunity to participate in all aspects of human life enable individuals and communities to celebrate their diversity and recognize their responsibilities.

Access Awareness Day is ultimately about more than just one day a year. It is a call to respond creatively and purposefully to build a society where barriers to inclusion are removed, and to ensure the independence, self-esteem, dignity, and security of all citizens.”

To learn more about Access Awareness Day and how you can participate: http://www.sparc.bc.ca/access-awareness-day

To help British Columbia residents with physical disabilities regain their ability to travel independently, March of Dimes Canada, through the Istvan and Barbara Haas Vehicle Retrofit Fund, will provide up to $15,000 to retrofit a vehicle. This is the second time this competition has run in British Columbia. The application deadline is February 16, 2014.

The funding is intended to provide vehicle modifications for an eligible individual or family to enable a person with disabilities that restrict mobility to participate in his/her community. 

For information on eligibility and to access the application forms, please visit March of Dimes’ website here or contact:

Istvan and Barbara Haas Vehicle Retrofit Initiative 
301 – 1212 West Broadway, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6H 3V1
haasretrofit@marchofdimes.ca
Tel: 604-738-6219
Fax: 519-432-4923

The Consortium Led by Real-Time Engineering & Simulation, Inc. is working on a project for Transport Canada to better understand the long distance travel needs of people with mobility impairments in order to improve their accessibility to rail vehicles and the quality of the service provision in Canada.

The removal and prevention of barriers and making access easier to, and move around on board trains and stations is essential to provide accessible rail services and remove discrimination. With this survey, we are asking you to share your needs, views, comments and suggestions on current access to VIA Rail services and on various boarding devices. Your participation in this study is greatly appreciated through responding a survey. http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/1834109/Long-Distance-Transportation-Needs-for-People-with-Limited-Mobility

This survey will take approximately 12 minutes to complete. Participation is voluntary and you may exit the survey at any time. Completing the survey indicates consent to participate in this study. All survey responses will remain confidential, stored on a password-protected computer, and participants will not be identified in any publications or reports. Due to the anonymous nature of the survey, once the data has been collected, participants can no longer withdraw from the study. The data may be kept for future related research purposes.

Please feel free to distribute widely among your network.

If you have any question or concerns regarding this survey or if you have any concerns regarding your rights or welfare as a participant in this research study please send an email to ComeOnBoard@rteng.pro.

Thank you for your participation!