Access Guide Canada

By Christine Staddon

Two years ago, we invited ABILITIES readers to “pack your bags” – the Canadian Abilities Foundation was embarking upon a most exciting adventure. We had begun to build Access Guide Canada (AGC), your online guide to accessible places in Canada. We asked you to let us know about accessible places you had visited.

Over 800 of you responded, volunteering your time to tell us about restaurants, hotels, parks, stores and other venues in your community that are accessible to people with disabilities. The work of these contributors has helped Access Guide Canada reach almost 15,000 listings across Canada!

Have you made your contribution to Access Guide Canada yet? It only takes minutes to add an accessible place that you think others should know about. We are so close to 15,000 listings, but we can’t do it without you! Please take it upon yourself to add a place that has gone the distance in creating access. Help us reach this milestone – and start building toward 20,000 listings.

If you aren’t sure what to add, start with your local place of worship. We want you to include those churches, temples, synagogues and mosques that welcome worshippers of varying abilities. If your place of worship is accessible and/or offers other features for people with disabilities, shine a positive light on its good work by adding it to Access Guide Canada.

Or tell us instead about your favourite restaurant that makes you feel welcome and wants your business, or the bookstore that is accessible and provides great customer service to people with disabilities. You can add any or all of those businesses and services that take our needs into consideration.

Still undecided about contributing to Access Guide Canada? Consider Anne Robertson’s story. Anne, a subscriber to ABILITIES, took up the call when she saw our advertisement for “accessibility sleuths.” With a bit of spare time on her hands, and a desire to help people with disabilities have better access to resources, Anne set out in her community of London, measuring doorways, checking for automatic doors and finding accessible parking spaces. With the information she collected, she began adding listings to our online database. In less than a year, Anne has added over 100 accessible places!

Whenever we thank Anne for her time, she is always quick to remind us that she feels she gets more back from her work than what she puts into it.

Anne recently sent us a letter describing how her life has been enriched because of her work on Access Guide Canada. She says it has enabled her to become a community organizer, advocate and educator. Highlights of Anne’s new community work include being a part of the facilities sub-committee for the Accessibility Advisory Committee in London, and being asked by the Parkwood Rehabilitation Hospital to do assessments for its head injury program. She also spearheaded a team to liaise with the Ontarians with Disabilities Act Committee and Tourism London to coordinate the collection of accessibility information on hotels for an upcoming conference. This enabled the delegates to easily find places to stay while in town. She is also very proud of her work educating young people, such as teaching local girl guides about accessibility, helping them to understand better the lives of people with disabilities.

Anne’s list of activities and accomplishments goes on. Anne wrote, “What I have learned from and contributed to AGC has had an incredible ripple effect... all this from reading one page and making one call – so I should be thanking you!”

Now it’s your turn to contribute. Imagine the possibilities! To add or find a listing in Access Guide Canada, visit www.abilities.ca/agc. If you have any questions, e-mail agc@abilities.ca or call Christine Staddon at (416) 923-1885, ext 224.


We acknowledge the generous support of our founding corporate sponsor, the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.

VISIT ACCESS GUIDE CANADA AT WWW.ABILITIES.CA/AGC