Transcript

Take a minute to think about what this change is going to mean for you or for your business or organization. Can you imagine what an accessible Ontario might look like?

Let me tell you a bit about myself. I'm a franco-Ontarian who loves the outdoors. I've lived in Ottawa , Timmins , and Toronto . Camped in Algonquin Park . Enjoyed a swim in Lake Superior and visited many beautiful places in Ontario .

Think for a moment about where you travel, live and work — and what these places might look like without barriers. When everyone has access to places, people and experiences we all benefit — in this case we benefit from the contributions, involvement and spending power of people with disabilities.

Greater accessibility will help prepare Ontario for the future. Our population is aging, so the number of people with disabilities will increase.

Some people see disabilities as the barrier to full involvement in life. But, actually, it's the environment that presents barriers. For example, having stereotypes about people with disabilities is a major barrier. There are sometimes physical barriers in the environment. Sometimes certain systems and processes create barriers.

These barriers can be based on certain ideas of what the human experience should be like. So, it is the environment that presents barriers for people with disabilities — not the disabilities.