The Chatham-Kent Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC) is participating in a Canada-wide event this Sunday, March 24th at 11am starting at Turns & Tales Cafe at 213 King St W in downtown Chatham.
MapMission 2024 is a project organized by AccessNow, an accessibility technology company which seeks to make communities easier to navigate for people living with disabilities.
The MapMission day goal is to map, review and rank the accessibility of businesses and public spaces in communities across Canada.
Results from the reviewing and mapping process will highlight both the successes and barriers that currently exist for people living with disabilities in how they live, work and play within the community.
“A MapMission is an event that puts the power of action in your hands”, says Maayan Ziv, founder of the AccessNow app. “Think of it like an accessibility scavenger hunt. MapMissions bring people together to rate places in real-time on the AccessNow app”.
On March 24, 2024, communities across Canada will come together for a common goal: to make neighbourhoods more accessible and inclusive.
MapMission day is a way to add valuable information about the accessibility of places across Canada in four ways: -Add a rating for accessibility to the AccessNow app -Take photo/s of the place you are reviewing, so users know what to expect -Select tags by taking note of all the accessibility features you see including accessible
washroom, ramp, automatic door, elevator and more -Describe your unique experience in your own words, like friendly staff, table heights, etc.
“We invite the community to join us at our Chatham meetup for a collaborative mapping event,” says Sara Ebare, Chair of the Chatham-Kent Accessibility Advisory Committee.
“Share ideas, explore the city together, and make a difference.”
“The members of this committee are totally dedicated to making Chatham-Kent more accessible. Even during my short time on Council I am so impressed with their energy and the work they do to make our communities more inclusive”, says Alysson Storey, Chatham-Kent Municipal Councillor and Council representative to the committee.
“That’s why it was so exciting to learn about the MapMission event organized by AccessNow. What’s even more special is that I was connected to the founder Maayan Ziv through a mutual friend Mike Pegg, who is a key player in Silicon Valley in California but a friend of mine originally from the south Kent area (New Scotland). These Chatham-Kent ties are the best.”
All are welcome to join the AAC in mapping the accessibility of places in our city, with the goal of transforming Canada into an inclusive place for all.
The group will be meeting Sunday, March 24 at 11am at Turns & Tales Board Game and Cafe at 213 King St. W in Chatham.
The event will happen rain or shine (if raining, the review work will take place inside at Turns & Tales).
