March of Dimes Canada to host conference on accessibility, inclusion in London

An organization known for helping people with physical disabilities is set to host a special conference in the Forest City.

Hosted by the March of Dimes Canada, Opening Doors for Accessibility London will run at the Best Western Plus Lamplighter Inn and Conference Centre on Wellington Road on Friday, March 29.

The event will feature sessions on adaptive cooking, travel and driving, accessible housing and care-giving solutions.

“We actually do these conferences across Canada,” March of Dimes Canada spokesperson Mary Lynne Stewart told Global News Radio 980 CFPL.

“They’re meant to be little teasers of information because so often people don’t have access to information.”

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Stewart said this will be the event’s fourth year. Last year’s edition attracted about 175 people and they hope to draw in 200 on Friday.

One of the most important aspects of the conference is how it allows connections to be made between attendees and peer support groups, including the March of Dimes’ After-Stroke program.

“‘Who do I talk to? Where do I go?’ People are just looking for, whatever the disability is, ‘How do I integrate that into my life?'” said Stewart.

Londoner and founder of Moving Forward Wellness and Rehabilitation Centre Mike Mulligan will deliver Friday’s keynote address.

The conference is set to run from 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. It’s open to the public and free to attend.