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2010 LEGACIES NOW LAUNCHES GUIDES FOR ACCESSIBLE AND INCLUSIVE CITIES
First Project in Accessible/Inclusive Cities Initiative
Vancouver, B.C. (March 11, 2006) - 2010 Legacies Now unveiled a new guide today that will help cities determine how they can make their communities more accessible and inclusive for people with disabilities. Entitled Measuring Up, the objective of the guide is to help foster greater opportunities for those with disabilities within individual communities.
The launch event was held this morning at the International Terminal of the Vancouver International Airport, which was built to include fully accessible facilities for people with disabilities. The event featured a number of prominent speakers and attendees, including Hon. Olga Ilich, Minister of Tourism, Sport and the Arts, Sam Sullivan, Mayor of Vancouver, Judy Rogers, Vancouver City Manager and Chair of 2010 Legacies Now, and the Hon. Michael Harcourt, former Premier of British Columbia and an advocate for people with disabilities.
Copies of the guide were made available at the event and will be distributed more widely in the coming weeks. Mayor Sam Sullivan has agreed to distribute copies of the guide during his trip to the 2006 Paralympic Winter Games in Torino.
“This guide is a starting point in engaging our citizens here in Vancouver and British Columbia about the participation and contributions of our citizens with disabilities,” said Mayor Sullivan. “With the attention that will be focused on Vancouver as a result of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, I believe we have an excellent opportunity to move beyond our own borders and engage citizens around the globe.”
“One of the Province’s five strategic goals for the coming decade is to build the best system of support in Canada for persons with disabilities and special needs,” Ilich said. “This guide is a crucial part of engaging B.C. communities in that process and delivering on our promise of accessibility and inclusivity.”
“This new guide is part of an exciting initiative that will help cities across the province evaluate their progress in making their communities more accessible and inclusive,” said Rogers. “While communities have made extensive progress in the area of removing physical barriers, this guide asks them to go further and address the issue of whether the presence and participation of disabled people are properly welcomed and acknowledged in their community.”
The new guide is a joint initiative of 2010 Legacies Now, the provincial and federal governments and the City of Vancouver through the Vancouver
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Download the Measuring Up Guide in PDF
About 2010 Legacies Now
2010 Legacies Now is a not-for-profit society that works in partnership with community organizations, non-government organizations (NGOs), the private sector and all levels of government to develop sustainable legacies in sport & recreation, arts, literacy, and volunteerism. 2010 Legacies Now actively assists communities discover and create unique and inclusive social and economic opportunities leading up to, during and beyond the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. For more information, please visit www.2010LegaciesNow.com.
About the Vancouver Agreement
The Vancouver Agreement is an urban development initiative of the governments of Canada, British Columbia, and Vancouver that promotes partnerships between the three levels of government, community organizations and business to make Vancouver a healthy, safe, and sustainable place to live, work and visit. A major priority is sustainable economic and social development to increase local business investment and to provide jobs for local residents. For more information, please visit www.VancouverAgreement.ca
