RICK HANSEN UBCM MESSAGE:
Hi, I’m Rick Hansen, and I wanted to have the opportunity to speak at this conference in front of municipal and provincial leaders, as well as members of our provincial community.
You know when British Columbia launched their ten-year plan to make BC the most progressive place in Canada for people with disabilities, the government made a promise to make inclusivity and accessibility a top priority. And I’m really proud to say that this commitment is being ignited through a partnership with the Rick Hansen Foundation to expand and evaluate information about accessible venues and public spaces through our online tool called Planat.
You know the program is going to provide opportunities for people with disabilities to gain valuable work experience while being empowered, influenced accessibility in their own community.
We created Planat to highlight and to celebrate all the great work that’s been done throughout British Columbia, across Canada, and around the world – celebrating the progress of venues and spaces that are now accessible to all.
It’s an online platform that allows users to submit their own reviews of spaces from mobility, vision, and hearing perspectives. This benefits not only the consumer or the person with the disability who has this need for accessibility but also for businesses as well.
It’s an effective way for towns, cities, and local businesses to promote the accessibility and inclusiveness of their locations and to gain new customers in the process. To celebrated new insights about where they can improve for the future.
When I wheeled around the world during my Man in Motion World Tour, I had a dream of creating a world without barriers. And we came a long way in the last number of years since the Man in Motion Tour, one community at a time.
Champions from throughout the entire province have identified problems and work in partnership with municipalities, with government, and of course with the private sector. They’ve been able to continue to make progress that’s worthy of celebrating.
It’s time for us now to connect, to be able to share this information in a standardized and accessible way, so the people with disabilities have a chance to know where they can go to be able to gain fuller access and inclusivity.
It’s also going to be a powerful tool as aging baby boomers continue to occupy many disabling conditions.
By 2030, one in five Canadians will have one form of disability, so we need to prepare for this emerging force, this consumer force, this group of constituents that really demand access for all.
But as you know there’s still lots of work that has to be done. Without universal access for all, valuable members of our society are going to be left isolated.
So I challenge each and everyone of you to join me and the government of British Columbia in creating real change in communities, and ensuring that no person is left behind. To encourage each and everyone of you to make accessibility a priority in your communities by embracing Planat as a universal tool, and a small act to be able to communicate accessibility, or to make progress along the way will add up to have massive impact over time.
Let’s not give up on the original Man in Motion dream, and let’s strive towards the day when our province is completely accessible and inclusive for all. Thanks a lot, you guys.