National Access Awareness Day

Providing accessible environments for the disabled is what Access Awareness is all about. June 7 is National Access Awareness Day, and 2005 marks its eighth anniversary.

June 7 was designated to help raise awareness of the need for accessible, inclusive communities and workplaces in Canada, and is part of the effort to build a just and inclusive society for all.

Did You Know?

There are many public agencies across Canada with full time mandates to meet the objectives of National Access Awareness day. Their work in cities and towns across Canada includes:

• Working with communities to build a just and healthy society for all;
• Conducting research and advocacy on accessibility, income security and economic development for people with disabilities;
• Carrying out public education campaigns on the needs of the disabled.

Equal Communities – Equal Workplaces

The need for access spans all aspects of our communities: transportation, housing, recreation, education – and employment. In the workplace, access has become known as the ‘duty to accommodate’. The law is clear: employers must be proactive in the removal of workplace barriers for the disabled. The duty to accommodate means that barriers faced by CEIU members with physical, developmental, learning and mental disabilities must be pulled down. It also means that this action is not static or one-time: it will evolve along with changes in the workplace.

If you have questions or need to take action in your workplace concerning the duty to accommodate, please contact the local CEIU office in your region for further information and advice.

Actions always speak louder than words. If you know of ways to improve access in your community, June 7 is the perfect day to make a start on them. This is the best way to say "Accessibility Matters to Me."

In Solidarity

Susan Finn
National Vice President – Human Rights.