r egions
what’s new in
Alberta CONTINUED
MEDICINE HAT (cont.) Rick Hansen Relay
types of disabilities. • Planning for the upcoming 25th Anniversary Rick Hansen Relay taking place in March. • Planning for the Red Deer portion of the provincial Chair Leaders event coming up in May during Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month. • Compiling a detailed list of accessible hotels/motels. Will include name and location, as well as measurements of accessible rooms, including washrooms. Once completed, the information will be available on our website as well as by calling the Red Deer office. • Plans are underway to compile information in order to create a detailed map of all accessible bus stops and route numbers in Red Deer. Once completed, City Transit Department will place the map on their website for public access.
FORT MCMURRAY
Duane Burr, driving his accessible Can Am Spyder, leads a group of over 30 medal bearers and Talon runners. Medicine Hat was the first Alberta community to host the Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary Relay with four small celebrations focusing on the work being promoted by the Relay. Accessibility Audit of Medicine Hat College “Assisting the Operations Manager to wheel around his facility was the best way to show him the ‘big picture’,” said CPA staff, Shirley Jago. When an individual wheels through familiar territory they discover that they see things much differently than if they walked the same path. Medicine Hat College has worked hard to become as inclusive as possible and it shows. Minor improvement suggestions were all that could be made for the purpose of enhancing their facility’s accessibility.
RED DEER Community Development The Red Deer office of the CPA (Alberta) has been busy with a number of projects, including: • Accessibility audits on the Red Deer Public library, as well as several other public buildings. Audits were also completed on several private residential homes, hotels and motels within the city. The audits resulted in upgrades and modifications to improve accessibility and safety for all people within the environment. • Along with other local agencies and several Notre Dame High School students, attended and participated in the International Day of Persons with Disabilities held at the Red Park West Elementary Schoo1. The event had many interactive activities for children that simulated what it is like to have different
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Spinal Columns
Outdoor Advertising The Fort McMurray office of CPA (Alberta) launched an outdoor advertising campaign to kick off the new year. The campaign included advertising in 6 buses, 3 bus shelters and the interior of 20 buses, all in an effort to create greater community awareness of the services provided by the association. CPA (Alberta) is committed to advocating for the removal of barriers for persons with spinal cord injury and other physical disabilities. Thank you to the United Way of Fort McMurray for funding this project.