Annex VI

National Access Awareness Week Campaign:
the Canadian Experience ^(*3)

1. Introduction

The National Access Awareness Week Campaign has been observed in Canada since 1988. It is a grassroots-oriented, community activity project involving the partnership of public, corporate and voluntary sectors, along with national associations of and for people with disabilities.

2. Organizational Structure for a National Access Awareness Week

To conduct an ongoing, nationwide campaign, a well-defined organizational structure has been established in Canada. It acts as the national policy-setting body to provincial as well as local committees in cities, towns and villages. The entire infrastructure of the campaign consists of the following:

1. A National Executive Committee which is the national policy-making committee that oversees all aspects of the campaign. It serves as the direct point of contact for corporate sponsors, national partners (see below), and concerned government agencies. The chairperson is always a person with a disability.
2. National partners, which are national organizations that represent people with disabilities or those that provide services to people with disabilities. They are invited to participate and, through their own membership and networks, are expected to promote actively the principles and delivery of the campaign
3. Provincial Organizing Committees are established in each province to determine regional policy and facilitate the distribution of information. They also conduct all planning and coordination of the campaign at the provincial level. Each province forms a working group composed of provincial affiliates of the national partners and other interested groups and individuals.
4. Corporate sponsors are companies that provide financial assistance for National Access Awareness Weeks. These sponsors recognize and accept their social responsibility to assist in the removal of barriers which prevent equal access by persons with disabilities. They accept the challenge of demonstrating a commitment to employment equity, to ensuring that goods and services are made available to the most reasonable extent possible to persons with disabilities, and to the development of advertising programmes that include persons with disabilities.
5. Local Organizing Committees deliver National Access Awareness Weeks at the community level. They encourage the active participation of all citizens and develop strategies for the removal of identified barriers in the built environment.
6. Secretary of State provides coordination, funding and secretarial support for the delivery of National Access Awareness Weeks (see organizational chart).

3. Local Organizing Committees

Local Organizing Committees are the most important unit to successfully bring about changes in the daily lives of persons with disabilities. They are the driving force that make National Access Awareness Weeks actually happen across the country. Through their efforts, the general public can become positively involved in all activities undertaken during the awareness week.

(a) Membership of Local Organizing Committee.

Each national partner at the local level, representatives from government agencies (provincial and city), and the business community, media personnel, and all other interested individuals and groups are invited to join the committee.

(b) Objectives of a Local Organizing Committee.

1. To encourage active participation by all citizens (disabled and non-disabled) in the campaign;
2. To work together to bring about positive change in the community;
3. To identify barriers in the community in the areas of transportation, housing, employment, education and recreation;
4. To develop an action plan to remove barriers; the long-term goal is to make the communit fully accessible; and
5. To initiate and/or facilitate new and existing activities and events during National Access Awareness Week.

(c) The organizational structure of a Local Organizing Committee.

The structure can be varied, depending on the size and type of the community concerned. The following is an example:

1. The Steering Group may consist of three to four representatives from self-help organizations of persons with diverse disabilities, one to four persons from government departments, and three to four persons from the private sector. An attempt should be made to include all disability groups.
2. Sub-committees may be established to undertake specific activities to achieve overall goals. Examples of sub-committees are:
   1. Issue-oriented sub-committees (on transportation, housing, employment, recreation and education), which identify barriers with respect to each issue and set goals and development strategies.
   2. A public relations sub-committee with responsibility for publicizing the National Access Awareness Week. It will also disseminate information on any events or activities that are taking place. Effective media plans should be developed by this sub-committee to increase awareness in the community.
   3. A special events sub-committee which is responsible for the planning and coordination of umbrella events for the community. It will also be the central coordinator of all events organized by the sub-committees. It is hoped that this maximizes peoples participation and media coverage.
   4. A recognition sub-committee which is responsible for the development of a system of recognition for significant accomplishments in removing barriers to access. Individuals, businesses and organizations with experience of participating in National Access Awareness Week are awarded appropriate recognition.
   5. A finance and adminstration sub-committee which is accountable to the Steering Group and which is responsible for the management of all funds and assets of the Local Organizing Committee.

4. National Access Awareness Week Activities: Examples

(a) The Five Star Community Award Programme.

"Five Star Community Awards" will be presented to those communities which have achieved significant progress in improving access for persons with disabilities in the areas of transportation, housing, employment, recreation and education. A "Five Star Community Award" is the highest form of recognition a community can receive for its accomplishments in all five areas. "A Star Community Award" will also be given to communities which demonstrate significant achievements in only one of the five areas.

(b) A progress report as a tool for monitoring progress.

A progress report is designed to measure change and is used in conjunction with the other components in an organizations planning process. Members of a Local Organizing Committee can use it to record identified barriers. Planning can then begin for their removal. The progress report provides communities with the opportunity to monitor the changes at their own pace. It provides individuals and organizations with a chance to assess where their community stands regarding access for citizens with disabilities and an opportunity to plan for the future.

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*3 Based on Independence, Thats Living!: Organization Handbook, National Access Awareness Week: Integrating Disabled Persons, June 4-10, 1989, Ontario, Canada, 1989.

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ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
Promotion of Non-Handicapping Physical Environments for Disabled Persons: Guidelines
- ANNEX 6 -

UNITED NATIONS
New York, 1995