Level Playing Field

This Guide Dog Access Awareness Month, we’re sharing stories from guide dog handlers across Canada about their experiences travelling with their guide dogs.

Dan had always wanted to see a polar bear in the wild in Churchill, Manitoba, and getting there meant travelling by bus and train, including several days aboard VIA Rail, with his guide dog, Sparky.

Along the way, Dan and Sparky navigated the many stops and connections, hotel stays and unfamiliar places.

"My trip to Churchill showed me that with a guide dog by your side, and people who are welcoming and inclusive, even the most ambitious adventures are possible."

Read Dan's story:
https://www.cnib.ca/en/blog/sparky-made-it-possible

Image description: Dan stands in the snow beside his yellow guide dog, Sparky, who sits in a harness and looks up at him. A VIA Rail passenger train is parked behind them. Text below the photo reads, “Sparky is always opening doors for me, sometimes literally, but more often through the people we meet along the way.”

Children are naturally curious about the people around them. The way parents respond can teach them how to view disability.

Child Magazine has a guide for parents on how to navigate these conversations with honesty, kindness and respect.

For more information, check the comments below. 👇

Our fourth public policy recommendation for this session of Parliament focuses on ensuring people with intellectual disabilities have access to affordable, accessible and inclusive housing in their communities.

We are calling on the Government of Canada to ensure that federal housing investments support non-congregated housing options where people with disabilities can choose where, how and with whom they live—with access to individualized supports and services when needed.

Federal funding should not be used to create or expand institutional, segregated or congregated housing models that group people together based on disability.

A home is more than a building. It is a place where a person has choice, privacy, control and a sense of belonging within their community.

It is time to ensure that federal housing investments advance inclusion, accessibility and personal choice—not segregation.

What if a home could be easier to adapt as your needs change?

That’s the idea behind accessible-ready housing.

It means:
• Planning for accessibility from the start.
• Making future changes easier and less disruptive.
• Helping homes adapt as people’s needs change.
• Expanding accessible housing choices.

Soon, you’ll have a chance to review a new draft standard and have your say!

Stay tuned.

The Accessible Canada Act defines a barrier as “anything—including anything physical, architectural, technological or attitudinal, anything that is based on information or communications or anything that is the result of a policy or a practice—that hinders the full and equal participation in society of persons with an impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory impairment or a functional limitation.”

On a day-to-day basis, that could mean stairs-only access, needlessly complex language, broken elevators, lack of accessible washrooms, and non-adjustable lighting. They can also be systems, policies, hiring practices, communication methods, and technologies. Invisible barriers like attitudes and unconscious bias remain some of the most difficult to identify, remove, and prevent but it’s critical that we do. Recognizing barriers is the first step. Then, it’s time to take action to remove them.

Alt text: Purple web card reading “The Accessible Canada Act defines a barrier as: anything—including anything physical, architectural, technological or attitudinal, anything that is based on information or communications or anything that is the result of a policy or a practice—that hinders the full and equal participation in society of persons with an impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory impairment or a functional limitation.” Our office’s applied signature and the Canada wordmark appear at the bottom.

Sociability - Think disability is niche? 🤔

We’re a community of over 1 billion people worldwide - one of the largest communities on earth. (World Health Organisation) 🌎

The Disabled population is also unique as a minority group: it’s the only one anyone can become part of at any point in their life. It isn’t fixed to a single identity or background, which is why accessibility matters to all of us, not just some of us.

When access isn’t built in, it doesn’t affect a small group, it affects a huge and constantly growing part of society.

What do you love about the Disabled community? 💬👇

DisabledAndProud w

Artificial Intelligence (AI) learns from data. But who is included in that data?

If people with disabilities are missing, AI may not work well for them.

That can lead to unfair results or new barriers.

When developing AI, it is important to consider who is represented in the data.

Tip from our Accessible and Equitable Artificial Intelligence Systems standard.

Learn more: https://ow.ly/Ah6r50ZLXLC

Guide dogs are specially trained to help people who are blind or have low vision.
They help people navigate their surroundings safely and independently.

Working in partnership with their handlers, guide dogs can help them avoid obstacles, find entrances and destinations, and move through public spaces.

This Guide Dog Access Awareness Month, we recognize the important role guide dogs play in supporting accessibility, independence and inclusion.