CAN (LET’S) was contacted on behalf of the Sustainability Ambassadors Program at the University of British Columbia. Their team is creating an open access Sustainability and Society Guidebook that explores the intersections of climate and social justice. Their goal in creating this guidebook is to amplify the voices of marginalized people and empower youth to take ownership of their learning and become agents of change in their communities. They wanted to collaborate with Creating Accessible Neighbourhoods and have us share our experiences and wisdom about how disability justice is connected with climate justice and sustainability. Stories were collected via Zoom interview and integrated into their research, alongside a set of actions readers can take to shape safer and more equitable communities.
CAN (LET’S) participated in a meeting to discuss the possibility of creating an online poverty simulation tool with Basic Income BC. At the meeting, we had representatives from Basic Income BC, a videographer/digital creator, and a CAN (LET’S) representative. CAN (LET’S) was asked to advise on how to ensure accessibility with the tool. We also suggested that we could find participants with lived experience for the project. This conversation is just in the starting phase. Updates will be in future newsletters.
CAN (LET’S) was contacted by Nadine Nakagawa, New Westminster Councillor for a conversation about climate and disability justice. The City of New Westminster is working to launch an alternative crisis response pilot project. This means trying to find more appropriate resources for people who are homeless, experiencing a severe mental health crisis, living with addiction, etc. They know that municipalities are responding to many of these issues with policing, fire services, and bylaw responses which do not get to the root cause of the issue and do not adequately serve those who are struggling.
Nadine contacted Creating Accessible Neighbourhoods because we an organization that works on disability justice issues. We discussed the pilot project with you. We shared our perspectives regarding the needs of those in our community. We also spoke about how they be aligned to the work CAN (LET’S) already does.
Creating Accessible Neighbourhoods (Live Educate Transform Society) participated in a consultation with the Patient & Community Partnership for Education at UBC.
The consultation gathered perspectives from patients and community members on the priority health concerns in British Columbia and how we should be training future physicians to meet theses needs.
The report has now been released with an accompanying video that highlights some of the major issues from the report.
The consultation will inform a review by the medical school at UBC of its social accountability mandate (i.e. the commitment of the medical school to address the health concerns of the populations it has a responsibility to serve).
A draft of the report was received by the curriculum review working group at the end of January. It was ‘very positively received’.
Several CAN (LET’S) members participated in a discussion of the SWAN (Stakeholder’s Walkability/Wheelability in Neighbourhoods) tool.
This tool was created thought the Canadian Disability Participation Project, with consultation by CAN (LET’S). The CDPP is an alliance of university, public, private and government sector partners working together to enhance community participation among Canadians with physical disabilities.
The SWAN tool allows communities to identify features in the environment that support or cause barriers to the mobility and participation of people using assistive devices.
Cities, such as the City of Burnaby, have been using this tool to do neighbourhood tours and assess where accessibility works and where it needs improvements.
CAN (LET’S) is excited to continue to be part of the development, use, and education regarding the the SWAN tool.
CAN (LET’S) was contacted by a consultant at Cycle BC.
They are working on the Strategic Plan for the next ten years. They are trying to capture as many perspectives as possible.
They noticed that they didn’t have much input from disabled people. They contacted CAN (LET’S) to find out how to make cycling more inclusive.
Their aim is to provide a welcoming and safe community for all people, whether they ride for transportation, enjoyment, or competition.
We had a very good conversation about how to better represent people with disabilities. We will stay in touch.
CAN (LET’S) was 1 of several community organizations who was invited to participate in Scenario Planning Engagement with the City of Vancouver for their plan. This a long-term, strategic and actionable Vancouver Plan – a plan that enables individuals, communities, and future generations to thrive.
About: “Ongoing engagement activities will include work which will be required to describe the 3-4 core scenarios as part of the report for public review. We will ensure that there is sufficient support present at the engagement activities to capture ideas generated through the discussion.”
CAN (LET’S) was asked to speak to the experiences and perspectives of disabled and 2SLGBTQIA+ folk. This engagement meeting was important to amplify the voices of equity-seeking community-based organizations on the Vancouver Plan.
Who was involved: “We are working with a multidisciplinary team of collaborators, including political leaders, planners and technical policy makers. We are drawing upon our experience working with large and diverse bodies of internal and external stakeholders to coordinate the project. As well-informed outsiders with a knowledge of urban issues, resiliency planning and the expectations of policy-makers the goal is to make work inclusive, accurate, unbiased and relevant.”
CAN (LET’S) participated in a key informant interview with BikeMaps.org
BikeMaps.org is a pan-Canadian group of researchers who have an interest in active transportation. They were recently awarded funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada to create a platform that focuses on the pedestrian environment. Their objective is to capture the microscale barriers to walking and rolling through citizen reports on a web-map.
CAN (LET’S) was identified as an organization who could provide valuable information based on our involvement advocating for inclusive active transportation.
Creating Accessible Neighbourhoods (Live Educate Transform Society) participated in a consultation with the Patient & Community Partnership for Education at UBC.
The consultation gathered perspectives from patients and community members on the priority health concerns in British Columbia and how we should be training future physicians to meet theses needs.
The report of the consultation with patients, caregivers and community representatives has now been released. There is also an accompanying video that highlights some of the major issues from the report.
The consultation will inform a review by the medical school at UBC of its social accountability mandate (i.e. the commitment of the medical school to address the health concerns of the populations it has a responsibility to serve). A draft of the report was received by the curriculum review working group at the end of January. It was ‘very positively received’.
Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods (CAN) was formed in 2005 based on the need to have an organization to advocate for a transit inaccessibility issue. Our founder, Heather McCain (they/them), was excited to finally have a power wheelchair which would allow them access to their friends, medical appointments, volunteering, and the broader community. At least half of the time, when they tried to take transit, drivers acted as gatekeepers and misinformed Heather that the ramps weren’t operating. Heather lived in Maple Ridge, where the buses only came once an hour, this severely impacted Heather’s ability to access their community.
Heather wrote letter after letter to TransLink with no response. They tried to find an organization who would help but was unable to. At the time, Heather ran a Chronic Pain Support Group. They were discussing this issue and the lack of organizations to take on issues like this. A member of the support group suggested that Heather could create an organization to fill the need – or at least address this 1 transit issue. Heather looked into it and it seemed fairly simple. They appointed members of the support group as board members and registered Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods (CAN) a non-profit society.
Following the incorporation of Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods, Heather wrote the same letter they’d already sent to TransLink but this time they wrote Executive Director under their name and 1 week later they received a response.
Heather found out that TransLink had a policy that addressed this. They worked with TransLink to ensure drivers and passengers knew about the policy.
