On Sunday, December 3, qathet Regional District (qRD) will join together with organizations around the world to promote awareness and celebrate persons with disabilities.
The United Nations designated December 3 as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in 1992 to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. Roughly one in five Canadians report having a disability.
Persons with disabilities experience poorer housing outcomes, higher poverty and lower employment rates than the general population. A disability is not solely the result of an impairment. Rather, a disability is caused by barriers – environments, attitudes, practices, policies, information, communications or technologies – that prevent a person with an impairment from participating fully in society.
“This International Day of Persons with Disabilities, qathet Regional District reaffirms its pledge to creating a community where people of all ages and abilities can fully participate in daily life and experience a sense of belonging,” stated qRD board chair Clay Brander in a media release. “We are working hard to proactively address barriers to ensure all our community members can fully access our services and facilities.”
As legislated under the Accessible British Columbia Act and regulation, qRD, City of Powell River and Powell River Public Library are working together on an accessibility plan to guide the identification, removal and prevention of barriers to individuals in or interacting with these organizations. To learn more, go to qathet.ca/accessibility.
Anyone who knows of a barrier that prevents people from fully accessing regional district facilities or services is asked to go to qathet.ca/accessibility-feedback for more information on how to provide feedback.
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