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ONTARIO COUNCIL
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING, 2010
MAY 14th and MAY 15th

Host: CFUW St. Catharines
Location: Quality Hotel Parkway Convention Centre, 325 Ontario Street, St. Catharines
Theme: ACCESSIBILITY: Creating Inclusive Communities

ACCESSIBILITY

The Ontario government has introduced comprehensive legislation to achieve accessibility for Ontarians with disabilities on or before January 1, 2025. This AGM was an opportunity to learn about this legislation, to experience some of the barriers that people face in their daily lives, and to meet people who live with these barriers in their communities.

The keynote speaker was Rabia S. Khedir and her topic was Creating Inclusive Communities: Places where people belong. Rabia specializes in participatory action research, inclusion, and community development. Both as a self-advocate and consultant, she has over 15 years of personal and professional experience in accessibility, community development, and outreach with persons with disabilities and ethno-racial-cultural communities.

We were able to learn more about and discuss the new Ontario legislation for making our province accessible for people with disabilities (AODA - Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act - 2005).

A highlight of the Friday evening reception was the chance for all attendees to "experience" a variety of disabilities, and consider the impact these challenges present to everyday life.

After the Business Meeting on Saturday morning, Rabia Khedr, the keynote speaker, told us about her experiences as a professional consultant and mother of four who lives with a disability. The theme of her presentation was "Building Inclusive Communities: Places where people belong".

After lunch, workshops about the theme topic, were followed by a panel discussion about what barrier-free living means.

An optional Guided Wine Tour to taste some of Niagara's delicious wines was also available.