It was a quieter flag-raising Monday morning for Halifax Mayor Mike Savage outside of City Hall this morning.
Usually joined by a crowd of spectators, few were present due to COVID-19 restrictions in-place for large gatherings as the mayor proclaimed May 30 to June 6 National AccessAbility Week in the city of Halifax.
“Normally this place would be full of people,” says Savage. “The importance is the flag; it’s nice to have a lot of people here, and quite often we do, but for now, we’re just limiting it to five people.”
NAAW celebrates and recognizes contributions made by persons with disabilities and those who are actively removing barriers for everyone in Canada. NAAW supporters were able watch the ceremony online thanks to the Nova Scotia conference’s organizers reachAbility.
Halifax-based non-profit, reachAbility provides supportive and accessible programs for individuals facing barriers to inclusion and community participation. They will host NAAW events during the week through a free virtual conference that includes presentations, speaker sessions and interactive workshops open to anyone interested in participating.
READ MORE: Halifax-based non-profit goes digital for week-long conference on accessibility and inclusion
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“Everyone in Nova Scotia and in Canada will have had, has or will have a disability,” says Tova Sherman, founder and CEO of reachAbility. “Let’s find a reason to celebrate inclusion and the incredible things that people with disabilities achieve every single day in their workplace, in their lives, with their families and with their children.”
The theme of this year’s Nova Scotia event is “Because I Can,” aiming to help the community realize the full and equal participation of persons with disabilities in society and shape the future of sustainable development for all citizens.
NAAW guest speakers include Mayor Savage, Nova Scotia 2020 National AccessAbility Week ambassador, April Hubbard and executive chairman of Mental Health International Bill Wilkerson, who will present a new paper on artificial intelligence and depression.
READ MORE: Halifax non-profit ensuring accessibility, inclusion during COVID-19
“I think we all need to make sure that we allow people with disabilities to achieve their potential, the same as all the rest of us. That’s what this week is about,” says Savage. “It’s about inclusion, equity and recognizing that everybody is a human being and should have the right to participate in society to their fullest possible capacity.”
More information on National AccessAbility Week events can be found on reachability.org.
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