Man in wheelchair on stage next to a piano speaking into microphone

Awareness Events

Register Now for Upcoming 2025 Built Environment Information Sessions!

About the Built Environment Information Sessions

The Built Environment Accessibility Standard is now law in Nova Scotia. This means that organizations have new requirements, for designing, constructing, and managing their infrastructure. Learn more about the Standard here.

Information sessions about the Built Environment Accessibility Standard will explore:

  • What is the Standard?
  • Which organizations need to follow the Standard?
  • When do organizations need to follow the Standard?
  • What is the role of the Nova Scotia Building Code versus the Built Environment Accessibility Standard?
  • What are the requirements of the Standard?
  • Helpful reminders for accessibility in the built environment
  • Questions & answers

Register Now!

Please click on the registration link below to register for the session you would like to attend. 

Accessibility Notes:

  • Plain language is used where possible.
  • Slides and photos are used throughout. Text on the slides is high contrast and in large font.
  • Visuals are described throughout the session.
  • Sessions are hosted using Zoom. Cameras and microphones are disabled. Participants can ask questions using the Q&A function.
  • Autogenerated captions can be turned on in Zoom.
  • A copy of the presentation is shared with attendees.
  • To request a copy of the presentation in advance of the session, please email accessibility@novascotia.ca.
  • CART captioning is available upon request. We require a minimum of two weeks to book CART interpretation for a session. If you require CART captions to access the session, please email accessibility@novascotia.ca.
  • ASL interpreters are in high demand. As a result, we require a minimum of two weeks to book ASL interpretation for a session. If you require ASL interpretation to access the session, please email accessibility@novascotia.ca.
  • For other accessibility requests or questions, please email accessibility@novascotia.ca.

 

 

 

Nova Scotia Access Awareness Week 2025

Access Awareness Week Logo with two figures holding a torch within a circle that says nova scotia

Nova Scotia Access Awareness Week: May 25-31, 2025

Nova Scotia was the first province in Canada to champion Access Awareness Week as an extension of Rick Hansen’s 1987 Man in Motion World Tour. During this initiative Rick and his team wheeled through 34 countries raising awareness about the potential of people with disabilities and the possibility of creating accessible and inclusive communities.

For 39 years, Nova Scotians have organized community events, press conferences, forums, concerts and lectures during Access Awareness Week to bring attention to the importance of removing barriers for people with disabilities. Through public awareness, community partnerships education and dialogue, Access Awareness Week aims to foster an environment of equal participation for persons with disabilities. To learn more about events and initiatives happening across the province see the Nova Scotia League for Equal Opportunities and Reachability.

A teacher and preschool aged student reading books together in a classroom.
A person with light skin is leaving a gated area with their guide dog.
Group of four people with light skin sitting around a campfire in the woods, one person in a power wheelchair
A person with dark skin is walking on ramp in the city with a white cane.
Une enseignante et une élève d'âge préscolaire lisent des livres ensemble en classe.
Une personne à la peau claire sort d'une aire clôturée avec son chien-guide.
Groupe de quatre personnes à la peau claire assises autour d'un feu de camp dans une région boisée, une personne est dans un fauteuil roulant motorisé.
Une personne à la peau foncée marche sur une rampe en ville en utilisant une canne blanche

International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2024

International Day of Persons with Disabilities

December 3rd marks the International Day of Persons with Disabilities proclaimed by the United Nations in 1992. It is a day to promote an understanding of disability issues and raise awareness on the importance of inclusion in all aspects of society. Accessibility for persons with disabilities is a human right in Nova Scotia and we are working towards removing and preventing barriers so that everyone has access to the same experiences and opportunities.

Join us to celebrate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Ability to Rise: Celebrating Leaders In Disability Inclusion 
Watch recording from December 3rd 2024 here 

Take the time to learn about the experiences of those with disabilities in Nova Scotia, work that is happening to improve accessibility, and reflect on our own personal responsibility to make the province a better place to live.

A person with a prosthetic arm arranges muffins on a tray in a kitchen.
A young child in a yellow hockey uniform plays sledge hockey on ice.
Three people sit around a table smiling and talking as they drink coffee.
A person with a prosthetic arm arranges muffins on a tray in a kitchen.
A young child in a yellow hockey uniform plays sledge hockey on ice.
Three people sit around a table smiling and talking as they drink coffee.

Light It Up! For NDEAM (National Disability Employment Awareness Month)

Light It Up! for NDEAM (National Disability Employment Awareness Month) is a national lighting event held the third Thursday of October, now in it's fifth year.  This coast-to-coast collaboration illuminates the nation purple and blue for one night, spotlighting disability-inclusive employment.  It’s much more than a special lighting event, be part of the national movement that ignites continuing conversation about disability inclusion in employment, in business and in our communities!

For more information check out the Light it Up! For NDEAM 2024 website. Participating is easy:

  1. Submit your location
  2. Watch and share the video ENGLISH | FRENCH to learn more about Light It Up! For NDEAM, and how to get involved.
  3. Start using the resources in the Light It Up! For NDEAM PR Kit.
  4. Spread the word ENGLISH | FRENCH — with posters
  5. Starting in September, use the event hashtags on social media: #LightItUpForNDEAM, #LightItUpForDEAM, #EngageTalent (English) #OnilluminelanuitpourleMNSEPSH, #OnilluminelanuitpourleMSEPSH, #Engagerlestalents (French)

 

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