Accessible Transportation Main Focus for Yarmouth Man
DISABLED PERSONS COMMISSION--Accessible Transportation Main Focus for Yarmouth Man
Bill Crawford will be celebrating this International Day of Disabled Persons, Dec. 3, on the roads of Yarmouth County.
"My priority is to champion the cause of inclusive transportation within rural parts of Nova Scotia," says Mr. Crawford, a member of the Disabled Persons Commission and a long-time advocate of accessible transportation. For Mr. Crawford and others, transportation is an essential part of accessibility -- to employment, recreation and other opportunities -- for people across the province.
Mr. Crawford's participation on the Disabled Persons Commission is a real-life example of the theme for the 2004 International Day Of Disabled Persons -- Nothing About Us Without Us.
The International Day of Disabled Persons is set aside each year to celebrate and acknowledge the experience and capabilities of people with disabilities. The 2004 theme is a reminder that effective policies and programs depend upon collaboration among people with disabilities and all levels of government.
Mr. Crawford works to secure accessible transportation, adequate lighting, easy-to-understand signs and spacious passages, only some of the aspects of daily life that people often take for granted. His participation on the Disabled Persons Commission is one way he, as a person with a disability, can inform and guide policies and programs for persons with disabilities.
The ideas and perspectives of community members like Mr. Crawford enable the Disabled Persons Commission to influence government decisions. Recently, for example, the commission provided input on the framework for an updated federal-provincial employment initiative for people with disabilities. This framework will support people with disabilities in becoming employed, succeeding in their jobs and remaining in the workplace. It will also assist employers as they get ready to hire people with disabilities.
The Multi-lateral Framework for Persons with Disabilities was developed after almost two years of discussions and extensive consultations with the disability community, including the Disabled Persons Commission. As a result, it better reflects the views and needs of persons with disabilities by providing a more comprehensive, yet flexible, approach to programming.
Mr. Crawford has been an advocate for people with disabilities for more than 20 years. He became involved with the commission three years ago, and is now in his second term. He says the opportunity to work with government ministers and community organizations across North America has been a worthwhile experience.
Mr. Crawford says the commission is a true working partnership that has supported initiatives for better transportation and accessibility, like the Dial-a-Ride service provided by Handicapped Organization Promoting Equality. This service helps people with disabilities and seniors in the Yarmouth region get to work, school and recreation.
"Better accessibility allows people to be contributors in the community," he says. "Any community that supports transportation and access is better for doing so."
The Disabled Persons Commission was created in 1990 to advise the provincial government and educate Nova Scotians on issues concerning people with disabilities.
According to the Statistics Canada Participation and Activity Limitation survey, Nova Scotia continues to have the highest rate of disability in Canada, with about one in five Nova Scotians reporting a disability.