Clarington marks AccessAbility Week with community survey for Multi-Year Accessibility Plan

Clarington, Ontario – The Municipality of Clarington is proud to announce the launch of a community survey during AccessAbility Week, aimed at gathering valuable feedback to support the development of our next Multi-Year Accessibility Plan (MYAP), which will guide accessibility efforts over the next five years.

“Accessibility is more than just parking spaces and doorways. We need to hear from the same community we support about what matters most to them, and that is why this survey is so important. I highly encourage all residents to complete it,” said Lesley Scherer, Chair of the Clarington Accessibility Advisory Committee.

National AccessAbility Week, from Sunday, May 28 to Saturday, June 3, is dedicated to encouraging Canadians to think about the barriers people with disabilities face and to find ways to help remove them. This week has been proclaimed National Access Awareness Week in the Municipality of Clarington, and the Access Clarington flag has been raised at the Municipal Administrative Centre to illustrate our commitment to promoting and advancing accessibility initiatives within the community.

Photo above: Clarington Mayor Adrian Foster, municipal staff, and members of the Clarington Accessibility Advisory Committee raised the Access Clarington flag in honour of National AccessAbility Week from May 28 to June 3, 2023.

In Ontario, approximately 20 per cent of people have a disability. In Clarington, that means approximately 21,000 people have a disability, and many of those disabilities are invisible.

As a municipality, Clarington plays an important role in creating an accessible and inclusive society. One of the key initiatives during AccessAbility Week is the launch of our community survey. It is vital to involve the community in shaping Clarington’s accessibility efforts and ensuring the plans align with their needs and aspirations. The survey is available on the website at www.clarington.net/AccessibilityPlan and will remain open for feedback until Friday, June 30, 2023. Residents of all backgrounds, abilities, and perspectives are encouraged to participate and share their thoughts, ideas, and suggestions.

The insights gathered through this community survey will play a pivotal role in developing the Multi-Year Accessibility Plan. The MYAP will outline strategic objectives, targets, and actionable steps to enhance accessibility across the organization, services, and facilities. Clarington is committed to incorporating diverse perspectives to ensure that our initiatives prioritize accessibility and inclusivity in the most effective and meaningful manner.

“We firmly believe that accessibility is a fundamental right, and it is our duty to ensure that every individual in our community can participate fully,” said Clarington Mayor Adrian Foster. “We want to hear what’s working and what’s not for people with disabilities in Clarington. We want to identify areas of improvement so we can plan to address them. We also want to hear what works well to build on those successes. Together, we can build a more inclusive future.”

The Municipality invites residents, organizations, and stakeholders to join us in this important initiative by completing the survey and helping to create a more accessible community.

For more information and to take the Clarington accessibility survey, please visit www.clarington.net/AccessibilityPlan.

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Media inquiries:
Municipality of Clarington
Jennifer O’Meara
Policy and Communications Advisor
905-260-2844 or jomeara@clarington.net