Join us for a celebration at AccessAbility Day 2025

Rick Hansen is a passionate supporter of people with disabilities in Canada. He is best known as the “Man In Motion” for his epic 26-month, 34-country, 40,000 km wheelchair trip around the world to create awareness of the potential of people with disabilities and to raise money to remove barriers. Everyone is welcome to join us in person on Thursday, May 29 for the 22nd  annual AccessAbility Day event at City Hall. The theme this year is Reflecting on history: Building an accessible future together. This celebration is part of National AccessAbility Week, May 25 to 31. On this day, we will:

• celebrate the contributions and leadership of people with disabilities
• highlight the work of people, organizations and communities that are removing barriers
• reflect on how we can work together to achieve a more accessible and inclusive society

The event begins with an opening ceremony hosted by Deputy Mayor Marty Carr. Remarks by the Deputy Mayor will be followed by several speakers, including a keynote address by Rick Hansen. Rick is best known as the “Man In Motion” for his epic 26-month, 34-country, 40,000 km wheelchair trip around the world to create awareness of the potential of people with disabilities and to raise money to remove barriers. Since the end of the Man In Motion World Tour in 1987, Rick has dedicated his life to creating a world that is accessible to everyone, everywhere, where barriers are removed and all people have the opportunity to reach their full potential through the Rick Hansen Foundation. There are two parts to the AccessAbility Day event, the opening ceremony and a resource fair. Opening ceremony

• Location: Andrew S. Haydon Hall (Council Chambers), ground floor, City Hall, 110 Laurier Avenue West
• Time: 10 am to 12:15 pm
• RSVP: Registration required; please use the AccessAbility day registration form[A1] . Registration is open until Friday, May 23. When registering, please let us know if you require any accommodations:
  • American Sign Language (ASL)
  • Langue des signes québécoise (LSQ)
  • Continuous real-time captioning in English and French
  • Simultaneous French translation
  • Personal Support Workers

Resource fair

• Location: Jean Pigott Place, ground floor, City Hall, 110 Laurier Avenue West
• Time: 9:30 am to 2:30 pm
• RSVP: None required

The resource fair features staff sharing information on City of Ottawa programs, services and facilities. Attendees are invited to offer informal feedback and consultation on the accessibility of City services, programs and facilities. If you are unable to attend in-person, you can watch a live stream of the opening ceremony on the City of Ottawa's YouTube channel. Visit our website for more information about the event.  To receive regular updates on news, programs and initiatives related to accessibility at the City of Ottawa, sign up for our Accessibility Spotlight newsletter. For more information on City programs and services, visit ottawa.ca, call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401) or 613-580-2400 to contact the City using Canada Video Relay Service. You can also connect with us through Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Bluesky and Instagram.