Ottawa, December 9, 2008
The All Abilities Welcome program is delivering an inclusive active living message across the country, following the recent completion of a speaker orientation involving 57 speakers Canada wide.
This past summer, the program recruited a diverse group of presenters with a background and interest in recreation, sports, health, and inclusion. The speakers, who share a passion for inclusive, active living, have been trained to offer creative inclusion solutions to service organizations, through the lens of their own experiences.
All Abilities Welcome (AAW) is a campaign aimed at encouraging an attitude of openness and cooperation around inclusion in physical activity at the community level. The program is funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Social Development Partnerships Program, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada and was launched in 2006 by the Active Living Alliance for Canadians with a Disability, a national non-profit voluntary sector organization committed to motivating and assisting Canadians with a disability to become more physically active.
“We’re excited about the level of interest and enthusiasm in our program, and in the overwhelming response to our search for speakers willing to talk about the important issue of access to active living for people of all abilities,” said Chris Bourne, Acting Executive Director at the Alliance. “We are fortunate to have a very diverse and knowledgeable group of passionate speakers, whose personal stories and life experiences make them credible ambassadors for our initiative.”
To date, a number of All Abilities Welcome inclusion presentations aimed at encouraging community and service organizations to open their doors to people with a disability have been delivered in Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec. Over the next several months, the initiative has committed to delivering a minimum of two presentations in each province / territory at events involving groups of community and recreation providers.
“So often, persons with disabilities are overlooked or underestimated, even within Canadian society,” said Laura Bulk, an All Abilities Welcome speaker and a student at Camosun College. “This is why the AAW program is so important. By raising awareness and supporting and encouraging service providers to think creatively about inclusion, we believe that AAW can make a positive difference in communities across the country. Through increasing accessible activities within Canadian communities, the public will gain more knowledge and awareness, which will hopefully break down some barriers and false stereotypes about persons with disabilities.”
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For further information, please contact:
Jason Dunkerley
All Abilities Welcome
Active Living Alliance for Canadians with a Disability
104-720 Belfast Road
Ottawa, Ontario
K1G 0Z5
Tel.: 1-800-771-0663 or (613) 244-0052, extension 25
Fax: (613) 244-4857
Email: jason@ala.ca
Web: www.allabilitieswelcome.ca
