A National Partnership for Accessibility

Carleton University has announced the Canadian Accessibility Network (CAN) to lead a national partnership in advancing accessibility for persons with disabilities through Research, Design and Innovation, Education and Training, Policy, Employment, and Community Engagement.

Strategic Opportunity

Accessibility is a national priority legislated by the Accessible Canada Act. It is also one of the key strategic goals for Carleton University and for many other Canadian organizations and stakeholders. The number of Canadians identifying with a disability is increasing due to a more inclusive representation of different disabilities including non-visible categories, and the progress in our society toward greater understanding and reduced stigma to self-disclose. At all age levels, persons with disabilities benefit from advances in accessibility of built environments, products, and services, including our aging population. This is an opportune time to mobilize the many potential partners dedicated to issues of accessibility across Canada and build on the momentum of the Accessible Canada Act to create the Canadian Accessibility Network.

The Hub of a National Network for Accessibility

We are positioning Carleton University as the most accessible postsecondary institution in Canada and the hub for the Canadian Accessibility Network (CAN). We have broad interdisciplinary research partnerships in accessibility and disability, exemplified by Carleton’s own research partnership network representing four Faculties. Our student disability service, the Paul Menton Centre, has been referred to by the press as the gold standard. The 24/7 attendant services in the residence and the underground tunnel system connecting all buildings on campus is one of a kind in the world. Our unique mental health supports, such as the research-based FIT-Action and the award-winning Student Mental Health Framework, ensure access to higher education for students with mental health challenges. Research shows our faculty espouse positive attitudes in accessibility but also practice inclusive pedagogy. Since 2012, Carleton’s READ Initiative – Research, Education, Accessibility, and Design – worked to bring together faculty, staff, and students across the university with community partners to advance the accessibility agenda through innovation, research, employment, and education.

“Carleton has a culture of accessibility” Alfred Spencer, Accessibility Directorate of Ontario,

Ministry of Economic Development,

Employment and Infrastructure

Out of Carleton’s culture of accessibility grew the desire to bring together the various accessibility initiatives, partners, and resources. In collaboration with Carleton faculty, staff, and students, the READ Initiative mobilized our collective potential to advance the accessibility agenda with our campus community and external partners. Canadian Accessibility Network is the next step in these efforts, with READ as its operational hub. The network approach with a centralized Head Office, along with potential Regional Offices, will ensure a focused, strategic approach with leadership and coordination to maximize assets of the partnership and lead to systems-level change and cultural shift.

The Power of Collaboration

Accessibility for persons with disabilities is a core requirement for fully inclusive societies. Barriers to accessibility affect persons with disabilities at all levels of social participation. Much work is done across Canada to advance accessibility, but no single organization or sector can tackle the full spectrum of barriers to accessibility in order to make change happen. There is a need for pan-Canadian mechanisms for organizations and stakeholders to engage across sectors, disciplines, and industries in action-oriented partnerships to address the multifaceted issues in accessibility.

The Canadian Accessibility Network (CAN) will bring organizations together to facilitate partnerships in specific collaboration areas under each of the five overarching domains, as outlined below. The collaboration areas will be further elaborated with input from CAN partners, to ensure that the network is capturing the full spectrum of gaps and opportunities in order to take action on accessibility. Each partner will be able to identify those areas where they have done work or wish to do work, and conversely to identify other organizations with interest in doing work in the same area. CAN will empower collaboration and knowledge exchange across sectors, disciplines, and industries, to minimize duplication of effort and maximize the building on each other’s strengths and achievements toward solutions.

Focus in 5 Key Domains

CAN will advance accessibility nationally in the following 5 key domains and related activity areas (to be further developed with input from CAN partners):

Research, Design and Innovation Target : Multidisciplinary national network of researchers in accessibility

: Multidisciplinary national network of researchers in accessibility Research-driven innovation in accessibility provides solutions to barriers and creates opportunities for full participation through the design of spaces, technologies, products, and transportation. CAN brings together research, design and innovation across disciplines and industries in Canada.

Activity areas: Assistive and rehabilitation technologies and devices Smart technologies for monitoring and assessment AI and accessibility Products, services, transportation, and environments Design and design methods Wellness management and mental health Functional impairments, therapeutic, medical solutions Social, historical, critical perspectives



Education and Training Target : Repository of educational and training opportunities across Canada representing the full spectrum of knowledge and skills in accessibility

: Repository of educational and training opportunities across Canada representing the full spectrum of knowledge and skills in accessibility The greatest challenges to accessibility are still the negative attitudes, stigma, lack of understanding and expertise. CAN leverages the resources of its Network partners to develop and coordinate education and training in accessibility, from the perspectives of built environment, health sciences, engineering and design, disability studies, policy and law, teaching and learning, and others.

Activity areas: Transition programs and services Academic/school accommodations Educational assistive/adaptive technology Learning strategies and skill development Disability and psychosocial support services Accessibility/universal design of learning environments Professional training and certification in accessibility Academic programming in accessibility



Policy Target : National think tank for ongoing monitoring and advising on the Accessible Canada Act

: National think tank for ongoing monitoring and advising on the Accessible Canada Act Institutions and businesses need expert guidance to embed accessibility in their organizational and policy frameworks. CAN works with governments, public and private sectors provincially and nationally, to assist with development and evaluation of accessibility-related policies and procedures.

Activity areas: Policy/standards development and evaluation Assessments and audits Strategic planning, advising, consultation Human rights and advocacy



Employment Target : Public awareness campaign to promote employment of persons with disabilities in Canada

: Public awareness campaign to promote employment of persons with disabilities in Canada Addressing the persistent and significant gap in employment rates between Canadians with and without disabilities is a national priority. There are many employment initiatives at the provincial and federal level that can benefit from collaboration and create more coordinated services through CAN, which in turn will be used to build up a movement to promote employment of persons with disabilities in Canada.

Activity areas: Employment skills development Accessible hiring, transition and onboarding Workplace accommodations/adaptations, and assessment of needs Accessibility of workplaces and organizations Employer training and awareness Business case and disability market



Community Engagement Target : Knowledge mobilization network of community organizations and postsecondary institutions

: Knowledge mobilization network of community organizations and postsecondary institutions Accessibility crosses disciplines and industries as an integral thread to the fabric of our society. CAN bridges the divide between bastions of knowledge and our community by connecting postsecondary institutions with organizations at the municipal, regional, provincial, national, and international level, to serve collectively as a catalyst for societal change.

Activity areas: Cross-sector engagement Public outreach and campaigning Events and conferences Community capacity-building International collaboration



Network Partners and Governance

We are currently in the process of establishing partnerships with various organizations across Canada, including postsecondary institutions, not-for-profit organizations, associations and foundations, and private industry. The partnerships are formalized between Carleton as the operating hub for CAN and the partner institutions through MOUs, however it is the specific units, departments, and teams that are engaged and collaborate with CAN. As we establish the initial group of founding partners, we will engage them in the development of the governance, network structure and functions, collaboration areas for each domain, sustainability planning, and funding opportunities. The timeframe for the initial CAN development stage was Sep-Dec 2019, which led up to the CAN Launch Event on Dec 2nd.

Carleton University is one of many organizations in Canada invested in accessibility. By leveraging strengths of individual stakeholders within a network of partnerships, we are creating collective capacity that is multisectoral and sustainable. Carleton University with a well-earned reputation in accessibility is well positioned to lead the Canadian Accessibility Network (CAN). But we cannot do this alone and there are many equally dedicated accessibility champions across Canada to join us and together develop CAN. As the landscape of Canadians with disabilities evolves, the focus on accessibility for all becomes a priority – a national priority represented by the new Accessible Canada Act. Through CAN we intend to help realize our national vision for a more accessible and inclusive Canada.

Join Us!

Send us a quick expression of interest in having your team, unit, or department join CAN. Contact your institutional or organizational partnership services to express your interest and to request that your organization joins the Canadian Accessibility Network!

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CAN National Office – Contact Us

The CAN National Office is located at Carleton University and supported by the READ Initiative. The CAN National Office supports the Network by:

Ensuring good governance;

Providing links between key stakeholders, signed partners and its members;

Facilitating elections and nominations to fulfill the governance of the Network;

Preserving CAN’s corporate memory through managing its corporate records and archiving activities as appropriate; and

Advising and reviewing Network procedures and guiding documents.

To contact the CAN Corporate Secretary, Julie Caldwell, please call 613-520-2600 x7300 or email can@carleton.ca.