National AccessAbility Week Programming: May 27 - 31
What is National AccessAbility Week?
National AccessAbility Week celebrates and highlights some of the important initiatives aimed at creating an Accessible Canada. Acadia is hosting several activities on campus and virtually that will allow our community to connect, share, and learn about various issues related to accessibility.
Book Display in Vaughan Memorial Library
May 27- June 10
Discover the book list on the Accessibility Libguide.
Virtual Event: Acadia Alumni Association Spotlight on Accessibility
Monday, May 27th: 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Virtual Event: Register here to receive the link
Join disability advocate and alumni member Matt Corkum ('06) for an entertaining and informative talk. Learn more about Matt from his bio here or from the event description below.
“Walk a Mile in My Shaky Shoes – What the Education System Can Learn”
Tuesday, May 28th: 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Divinity College Zoom Room, DIV 217
Also accessible by Zoom.
Join us for this 40-minute presentation and 20-minute Q&A with Acadia Alumni, Matt Corkum, about how we can best support students with disabilities to make Acadia University more accessible for everyone.
Speaker Bio:
- Matthew Corkum. Passionate, full of animation and energy as a speaker, Matthew never backs down from difficult topics. He has always pushed the limits through his life to prosper in a wide range of environments, regardless of living with cerebral palsy. Valediction of Acadia University’s class of 2006(Physics with Honors), Matthew went on to achieve a PhD from in atmospheric science at York University and now works as head meteorologist in Calgary. He not only knows how to track the weather, he knows what it is like to be excluded, bullied, and discriminated against. He is a Director of Rocky Mountain Adaptive and on the Community Advisory member of Calgary Adaptive hub and past member of the City of Calgary’s Advisory Committee on Accessibility. He was chosen in 2023 as one of Calgary’s Top 40 under 40 by Avenue Magazine for his advocacy and speaking on inclusion of those with disabilities. His contagious smile and one-line jokes often lighten the mood as he tells stories his new hobby; downhill skiing and can’t get enough powder in the mountains of Alberta and BC.
Creating Accessible Documents Workshop
Tuesday, May 28th: 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Vaughan Memorial Library Quiet Reading Room
This session will include a discussion of assistive technologies and how to increase accessibility in PDFs, Word Documents, and PowerPoint presentations.
Speaker Bios:
- Josh d’Entremont is a graduate of Acadia’s Jodrey School of Computer Science and has been working in the Vaughan Memorial Library as the Library Technology Specialist since 2015. He is also a part-time faculty member, and has taught “How Websites Work” and “Computer Concepts and Applications.” He has integrated topics of website and document accessibility into both courses.
- Maggie Neilson is an Academic Librarian at Acadia University’s Vaughan Memorial Library. In addition to her liaison work with the Kinesiology and Nursing programs, Maggie is the Library’s Coordinator of Accessibility. Since starting at Acadia in 2015, Maggie has worked to enhance the accessibility of the Library’s collections and materials, online presence, physical spaces, and services and supports. She is also the proud mother of a little ginger-headed boy named Bo and two rescue pups named Tippy and Lucy.
Community, Research and Innovation: Moving Together Towards Access By Design 2030
Tuesday, May 28: 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Vaughan Memorial Library Quiet Reading Room
Prescribed Public Sector Bodies (PPSB’s) under Nova Scotia’s Accessibility Act are required to develop and implement accessibility plans to meet with compliance of legislated accessibility standards by 2030: otherwise known as Access by Design 2030. Post-secondary institutions and municipalities are among the first PPSB cohorts to undertake this work, and in rural Nova Scotia communities, where relationships are the driving force to facilitate change, there is synergy between the academic resources to facilitate research and innovation and the strategic priorities of municipal government to implement that change for the betterment of all its citizens.
Join in on this National AccessAbility Week discussion with Barb Shaw, Manager of Communications and Strategic Initiatives at the Town of Wolfville, Julie Glaser, Manager of the Equity, Anti-Racism and Accessibility Program for the Association of Municipal Administrators of Nova Scotia, and Dr. Donna Sears, Associate Professor of Marketing at Acadia as they present community development approaches and projects that align with the goals of Access by Design 2030.
Speaker Bios:
- Julie Glaser has made a career building relationships and leading programs in communities in Ontario and Nova Scotia that create positive social, economic, and cultural change. She often cross-pollinates sectors to address challenges and issues communities face, forging unique partnerships with lasting impact. Diversity, equity and inclusion have always been her driving forces, with the last few years developing a sharp focus on accessibility. Julie is also a published author, rural Valley dweller, and works for the Association for Municipal Administrators of Nova Scotia as the Manager of the Accessibility, Equity, Anti-Racism Program, helping Municipalities fulfill their obligations under the Province of Nova Scotia’s Accessibility Act and the Dismantling Hate and Racism Act.
- Donna Sears is an Associate Professor in the FC Manning School of Business at Acadia University, holding a PhD from McGill University and an MBA from the University of New Brunswick. Her research focuses on hedonic consumption experiences, particularly as related to wine consumers and wine tourism. Dr. Sears often works with organizations in the community and regularly presents her work to community and industry groups. In addition to her research and work with students, Dr. Sears co-directs Steamspace, Acadia’s Makerspace for Everyone. This interdisciplinary project sees her looking for new and better ways to engage students and community members, using technology as a bridge to design, creativity, and collaboration. One of these exciting initiatives is the Making History Project, which matches undergraduate students with community organizations to develop ways to make their spaces more accessible through technology, creating virtual tours that can be used both on the web and onsite.
- Barb Shaw is a communications and engagement specialist who has spent her career flowing information and crafting stories to connect people and communities. As a journalist and as a communications consultant, Barb has always been drawn to municipal government. For the past three years she has enjoyed managing files and projects for the Town of Wolfville where she works as the Manager of Communications and Strategic Initiatives. She supports internal and external communications, runs engagement, acts as the accessibility lead, and manages the Town’s inclusion program.
Acadia AccessAbility Community Social
Thursday, May 30th: 1 p.m to 3 p.m.
K.C. Irving Environmental Science Centre Garden Room
Hosted by: Office of Human Rights and Equity
Join your fellow staff, faculty, and students in sharing stories of adversity and triumph on navigating the workplace and campus with a disability. Hear how you can support students, and yourself in advocating for accommodations in the workplace, living and learning environment. This is a social/hands on activity, of making buttons and drinking tea. Do not worry, there will also be pre-made buttons and stickers! 😊 See how one button, or sticker can have an impact in creating a safer space to listen to people share their lived realities of living with a disability.
Share tea, coffee, have a cookie – and make a button and pick up stickers!
Faculty and Staff Appreciation / Professional Development Movie Screening
Friday, May 31: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
K.C. Irving Environmental Science Centre Auditorium
Screening of the film Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution
Popcorn and refreshments provided!