A locally designed Accessibility flag was raised at the Essex County Civic Centre and at Town Halls across the County Monday morning to mark National AccessAbility Week, which runs from May 29 to June 4.
The flag, designed by Kristine Verbeek and selected above others by the accessibility advisory committees of Essex County and the local municipalities, features the word “Accessibility” beneath a stylized figure in a wheelchair facing the right side of the flag, with a series of seven chevrons pointing in the same direction.
“We are raising this flag to raise awareness about the importance of inclusivity and accessibility in our region,” said Warden Gary McNamara. “The seven chevrons on this flag represent the seven local municipalities moving forward with accessibility together in the right direction. It acknowledges that we’ve made much progress but still have considerable work left to do.”
Gord Queen, Deputy Mayor of the Town of Kingsville and the Vice-Chair of the Essex County Accessibility Advisory Committee, credited members of the advisory committee for the Town of Essex for sparking the collaboration that led to the creation of the flag.
“This year’s theme for National AccessAbility Week is ‘Inclusive from the start,’” said Queen. “The new accessibility flag that will flank the entrance of this building, will serve to remind all that accessibility starts here, with each of us. Let us put accessibility at the start of each new project, each design and considered with each dollar we invest in our communities.”
McNamara praised the Essex County Accessibility Advisory Committee for its ongoing advocacy and highlighted some ongoing and upcoming initiatives, including:
Red Shirt Day: This day of action for accessibility and inclusion is on Wednesday, June 1. Residents of Windsor and Essex County are encouraged to wear red that day and post pictures to social media using the hashtags #RedShirtDay and #RedForAccessAbility.
Multi-Year Accessibility Plan: The County of Essex needs your feedback to assist in the development of the 2023-2027 Multi-Year Accessibility Plan. The plan will outline how the County of Essex will prevent and remove barriers to accessibility that people with various abilities may face when accessing our programs, services and facilities. Your input is important as we create this plan to continue to improve on our services to all our residents and staff. Learn more!
WE Check The Trails, Phase Two: The Essex County Accessibility Advisory Committee worked with the Essex Region Conservation Authority last year and engaged the community in a crowdsourcing initiative to identify any accessibility issues with the Greenway trails. Trail users were empowered to report issues with an online form that was geolocation enabled. Phase Two launches in June and will examine other trail networks for accessibility issues.
‘No Barriers, No Problem’ Speakers’ Forum: The Essex County Accessibility Advisory Committee is bringing in experts to speak about accessibility issues for a public forum beginning at 2 p.m. on June 27. The event is free and the public is invited to attend. Stay tuned for more details.