News and Updates

Access Awareness Week 2025

• The Accessibility Directorate would like to thank all Prescribed Public Sector Bodies who took the time to order posters/postcards and/or flags to help celebrate provincial Access Awareness Week last month. We had over 7,000 individual printed materials delivered across the province.

June is National Indigenous History Month!

• National Indigenous History Month: June is National Indigenous History Month, a time to honour and celebrate the history, cultures, resilience, and contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples across Canada. Learn more about the Indigenous communities in Canada through the Government of Canada Learning Resources as well as a list of community events happening in and outside of the province.
• Halifax Public Libraries are hosting events throughout the month of June to celebrate National Indigenous History Month. Please visit the Halifax Public Libraries website for upcoming events for Indigenous History Month.

Built Environment Accessibility Standard 

The Built Environment Accessibility Standard was approved, making it Nova Scotia’s first accessibility standard under the Accessibility Act! The standard introduces technical design requirements for new and redeveloped infrastructure starting April 1, 2026, as well as new accessibility planning requirements which are due April 1, 2026.     

• Upcoming Information Sessions: Each of the 108 Prescribed Public Sector Bodies under the Accessibility Act play a crucial role in accessibility in the built environment in Nova Scotia. It is important to us to share information about the new Built Environment Accessibility Standard with each of your organizations as well as with others such as businesses and community organizations. To meet the demand for presentations, we will be hosting a series of webinars over the coming months. We encourage your teams and committees to attend a session to learn more and/or to ask questions about the Standard. For information about these sessions, please visit: Awareness Events | AccessibilityNovaScotia 
• Built Environment Accessibility Standard Materials: Nova Scotia’s new Built Environment Accessibility Standard introduces technical design requirements for new and redeveloped infrastructure as well as accessibility planning requirements. More information and materials are available on the Accessibility Directorate’s website, including an overview of the standard, a description of the standard in plain language and in ASL, and videos about the standard.                                                        

Fun Events to Attend this Summer!   

• 2025 Halifax Pride Festival July 17 to July 27: The 2025 Halifax Pride Festival is an eleven-day celebration taking place from July 17 to July 27 throughout the Halifax Regional Municipality. This year’s festival will feature over 30 Signature Festival Events and 100+ community organized events! For more information on Halifax Pride and accessibility features at Pride, please visit: Festival Information — Halifax Pride
  • If you are interested in volunteering at Pride, there are plenty of volunteering opportunities available. Visit Volunteer — Halifax Pride to apply.    

•          Cycling for all Abilities: The Municipality of the District of Lunenburg has partnered with Hillside Pines Home for Special Care and are offering free rides every Monday at 10 am for all ages and abilities, using a wheelchair transportation bicycle. To schedule a ride please call (902) 541-1343. Visit the Facebook promotion poster for more information.   

• Museum of Natural History: Autism Nova Scotia and the Museum of Natural History will be hosting Sensory Friendly Sundays this summer at the Museum every Sunday from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm staring June 22, 2025.  During this time, you can enjoy all the museum has to offer, plus reduced lighting, reduced sound, sensory maps and social narratives! Lean more about this fun event on their website.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

• Accessibility Directorate Resources: Visit the Access Include Everyone website for resources to support your accessible event planning this summer.
  • Guide to Planning Accessible Meetings and Events (In person meetings- En)
  • Guide to Planning Accessible Online Meetings and Events (En)
  • Guide to Planning Accessible Online Meetings and Events (Fr)
  • Engaging with Persons with Disabilities (En)
• Better Backstages: Accessibility Toolkit for Music and Art Spaces: The Atlantic Presenters Association (APA), in partnership with Eastern Front Theatre (EFT), and Music Nova Scotia, are proud to present the Better Backstages Toolkit! This resource is an accessibility toolkit for music and art spaces. It covers the Built Environment as well as other aspects of arts spaces. Visit Better Backstages: Accessibility Toolkit for Music and Arts Spaces - Home to read the toolkit.
• Sea Change CoLab: Sea Change CoLab offers various resources and training opportunities on their website. This includes blog posts on accessibility best practices, learning and facilitation opportunities, trainings and guidebooks and much more. Visit the Sea Change CoLab website and explore what they have to offer!
• Halifax Central Library: The Halifax Central Library is hosting a drop-in Building Assistive Technology workshop on Sunday June 22 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. This hands-on Worksop will explore user-friendly devices, inclusive maker practices, and transformative solutions that bridge the accessibility gap and help you or your community gain better access to the world around you. For more information visit the Halifax Public Libraries website.
• Nova Scotia Alzheimer’s Society: Sandra Hubbard, Regional Coordinator of Education & Outreach will be at the Clare Medical Centre downstairs boardroom, on Monday, July 7 from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm presenting on "Understanding Dementia" The session will discuss the basics of dementia, what's happening in the brain affected by dementia, the warning signs, as well as how to lower your risk of developing dementia. Please contact sandra.hubbard@asns.ca for more information.