Maple Ridge & Pitt Meadows Times • News
Group strives for barrier free communities
CAN is working to make sure society is inclusive of all members.
by Samantha Shirley-Urano
editorial@mrtimes.com
It can be a struggle for people with disabilities to get the services and inclusion in society they desire, but one community organization is trying to make sure the voices of these people are heard.
Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods
– CAN – an organization in the Lower Mainland that supports full inclusion in communities, is holding its Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m.
The meeting will be held in the Fraser Room of the Maple Ridge Library at 130-22470 Dewdney Trunk Road.
“It’s about improving things so we can support full inclusion within communities, whether it’s sport and recreational programs or access to information, or just creating barrier-free communities,” said Heather
McCain, executive director of Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods and a resident of Maple Ridge until three years ago.
McCain said one of the reasons she moved to Vancouver from Maple Ridge was because of the scarcity of accessible housing here. “Everybody wins when a community is barrier-free, because it’s not just for people with disabilities. It’s for seniors; it’s for people with strollers. We’ve had some people with high heels say it’s so much easier it’s for when things are accessible. Not having the cobblestone or bricks helps a lot of people.”
McCain said C.A.N. started five years ago to be a mouthpiece for people’s concerns.
“They don’t necessarily have the ability to get out into the community, so the way we structured the organization is that they would contact me about issues and then I would be the one who would either contact the businesses, or TransLink, or whoever needed to be contacted and then follow up,” McCain said.
At the AGM on Wednesday, C.A.N. will present their provincial plan, which they will begin implementing in January.
Members of the organization will vote and be able to give their input, but the general public is also welcome to attend.
Successes from the past year will be reported on at the AGM, directors of the society will be elected and financial statements from the fiscal year ending July 31, 2010, will be received.
For more information about the society and resources for inclusion of people with disabilities, visit canbc.org