On
May 29, hundreds of dignitaries, staff and members of the public
gathered at Ottawa’s City Hall to celebrate the 22nd annual City of
Ottawa AccessAbility Day, which happens annually during National
AccessAbility Week.
National
AccessAbility Week started in 1988 to celebrate Canadians with
disabilities and to raise awareness about accessibility and inclusion.
This year, the biggest highlight was our keynote speaker, Rick Hansen,
during which he provided an engaging account of his lived experiences as
a person with a disability.
The event also hosted a resource fair, showcasing accessibility-related projects and initiatives from across the City of Ottawa.
Some of the highlights included the new Para Transpo bus, a traffic
signals display with Accessible Pedestrians Signals push buttons and
information about Inclusive Recreation programs, including integration
and day programs.
AccessAbility Day 2025 was a celebration of the collective efforts and action of Council, staff, the Accessibility Advisory Committee
and community advocates with lived experience who work tirelessly to
identify and remove barriers throughout the City of Ottawa. If you
missed it, you can watch the event, including Rick Hansen’s keynote
address, on the City’s YouTube
channel.
As
part of the event, it was also announced that Ādisōke, the new Ottawa
Public Library and Library and Archives Canada joint facility, recently
achieved pre-construction certification through the Rick Hansen
Foundation Accessibility Certification program. This recognizes that
accessibility was integrated from the earliest phases of design and
planning. The project team remains committed to achieving
post-construction certification, which will ensure that accessibility is
verified and maintained once the building is complete.
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Federation of Canadian Municipalities Tour |
On
May 30, the City of Ottawa and the Canadian National Institute for the
Blind (CNIB) partnered to provide a tour showcasing accessibility
advancements in the design of public spaces as part of the Federation of
Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Annual Conference.
Councillors
and municipal leaders from across the country participated in this
guided tour, which highlighted how accessibility-related feedback from
the community can be integrated into infrastructure design. The tour
showcased various accessibility-related projects, including the new
tactile plates recently installed on the Mackenzie King Bridge as part
of a pilot project. These plates act as a visual and tactile separation
between the pedestrian space on the sidewalk and the bike lanes,
ensuring a higher level of safety and accessibility.
Please
stay tuned for updates to the City’s Accessibility Design Standards and
opportunities to provide your feedback in the future.
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The TD Summer Reading Club |
During
the summer months, Ottawa Public Library staff work to engage children,
including those with disabilities, with literacy and learning through
our summer reading initiative and library programs.
Reading
in all forms is a critical life skill, and our libraries have resources
and supports to ensure that each child can participate accessibly and
reach the end of the summer feeling proud of their skills and reading
accomplishments.
When
a child joins the summer reading club, they are offered a bilingual
reading notebook, which is also available in Braille or large print.
Additional
accessible and inclusive considerations, as recommended by the Centre
for Equitable Library Access (CELA), are incorporated into our offered
programs, such as adapting existing materials, providing coloured glue
and left-handed scissors, offering accessible seating, and ensuring our
instructors wear auditory devices when presenting.
To request accessibility-related accommodations to participate in any Ottawa Public Library program, please fill out the accessible services request form.
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Community Safety and Well-Being Plan Review |
The City of Ottawa is reviewing its Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) Plan and is seeking your input.
The Community Safety and Well-Being Plan advances safety and well-being at the community level in seven priority areas:
- Discrimination, Marginalization and Racism
- Financial Security and Poverty Reduction
- Gender-based Violence and Violence Against Women
- Housing
- Integrated and Simpler Systems
- Mental Well-Being
- Youth Social Development
These
priorities were developed through community engagement and data
analysis. Based on ongoing engagement, data and research with the
community, these priorities still maintain relevance and importance for
the City.
What safety and well-being issues matter most to you or your community? We invite you to share your thoughts through our online survey on Engage Ottawa, available until August 19, 2025.
Please feel encouraged to share this opportunity through your networks.
To learn more about the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan priorities and stay informed, visit and subscribe to the Engage Ottawa page.
For questions or feedback, please contact: CSWB/SBEC@ottawa.ca.
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