Event Details

Tentative Conference Schedule:

Tuesday, Aug 23
Theme: What is accessibility? What does it mean to you?

• 12:00 PM – 12:05 PM: Land Acknowledgement by the conference team
• 12:10 PM – 12:30 PM: Opening Address by Tilak Dutta, Scientist, KITE Research Institute, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute – University Health Network
• Title: A Framework for Park Accessibility

• 12:30 PM – 12:50 PM
• Keynote Address by Maayan Ziv, CEO of AccessNow
• 12:45 – 1:00 PM
• Break
• 1:00 – 1:15 PM
• Lawrence Gunther, President of Blue Fish Canada
• Title: Blind Outdoor Orienting on Trails and Water
• 1:15 – 1:30 PM
• Julie Sawchuk and Megan Deal, Sawchuk Accessible Solutions
• Title: If You Can’t Pee, You Can’t Stay
• 1:30 – 1:45 PM
• Julie Williams​, PhD
• Title: Considering Accessibility in Nature Writing and Environmental Literature Classes
• 1:45 – 2:00 PM
• Break​
• 2:00 – 2:15 PM
• Matthew Corkum, PhD
• Title: The Park for All – An Inclusive Space
• 2:15 – 2:30 PM
• Leah Riddell, CEO of SignAble Vi5ion Inc.
• Title: Inclusive Communication Barcode 
• Presenter language: ASL
• 2:30 – 2:45 PM
• Meenu Sikand, CEO and Founder of Accessibility For All
• Naz Husain, Advisor for Accessibility for All 
• Title: Inclusion of Diverse Visitors ​in ​Canada’s National Parks
• 2:45 – 3:00 PM
• Break
• 3:00 – 3:15 PM
• Rizwana Kadernani
• Barriers I Experienced at the Grand Canyon National Park
• 3:15 – 3:30 PM
• Janis Neufeld, CEO of Inclusive by Design Inc.
• Title: What does Access and Inclusion ​on Trails Look Like?
• 3:30 – 3:45 PM
• Kari Krogh, EcoWisdom Forest Preserve Co-Founder
• Paul Gauthier, Individualized Funding Resource Centre Executive Director
• Ean Price, Technology for Living Innovation Strategist
• Kim Dunlop, EcoWisdom Nature Guide and Trainer
• Title: Designing Accessible Park Spaces and Programs to Foster Inclusive Communities

Wednesday Aug 24 
Theme: Major barriers that impact national park accessibility for people with disabilities.

• 12:00 – 12:05 PM
• Land Acknowledgement by the conference team
• 12:05 – 12:25 PM
• Marie-Hélène Brisson, Acting Director of Visitor Experience, Parks Canada
• Title: Introducing Parks Canada
• Presenter language: English and French
• 12:25 – 12:45 PM
• Keynote Address by Bonnie Lewkowicz, Program Manager and Lori Gray, Outings and Adventure manager at Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program
• Title: Turning Barriers into Opportunities
• 12:45 – 1:00 PM
• Break
• 1:00 – 1:15 PM
• Noah Papatsie, Director – Nunavut, Inclusion Canada
• Title: National Parks in Iqaluit, Nunavut: A Northern Indigenous Perspective
• 1:15 – 1:30 PM
• Maria-José Aguilar-Carrasco, PhD
• Title: Evaluation of Communicative Efficiency Through an Index Focused on People with Mobility/Motor Disabilities Requirements to Equal National Parks Enjoyment
• 1:30 – 1:45 PM
• Isabelle Ducharme, President of the Board of Directors of Kéroul
• Title: Three Main Obstacles to the Accessibility of National Parks According to Kéroul
• 1:45 PM – 2:00 PM
• Break
• 2:00 – 2:15 PM
• Mary Salvani
• Title: Accessibility in National Parks
• 2:15 – 2:30 PM
• Trisha Kaplan, National Manager, Programs and Inclusion Initiatives, Trans Canada Trail
• Title: Trans Canada Trail Accessibility Initiatives
• 2:30 – 2:45 PM
• Cybèle Sack
• Title: The Many Paths to Accessibility: Hacking the Future
• 2:45 PM – 3:00 PM
• Break​
• 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM
• Panel Discussion
• Panelists:
• Cedra Eichanauer, Inclusive by Design Executive Assistant
• Ashley Olson, Founder of wheelchairtraveling.com
• Kristen Habermehl, Principal of Atlantic Accessibility Consulting
• Denise Vasquez, Founder of The Disabled Photographer Project and the How Accessible is Accessible series
• Moderator: 
• Alison Whiting, Research Analyst on the Engineering Health Team

Thursday Aug 25 
Theme: Innovative solutions to improve park accessibility for people with disabilities.

• 12:00 – 12:05 PM
• Land Acknowledgement by the conference team
• 12:05 – 12:25 PM
• Keynote Address by Mahadeo Sukhai, Vice-President Research and International Affairs & Chief Accessibility Officer at CNIB
• Title: A Tale of Three Coffee Shops
• 12:25 – 12:45 PM
• Mike Prescott, Project Manager, Accessible Organizations Project, Disability Alliance BC
• Title: Accessible Parks Through the Journey Experience Mapping Model for Accessibility (JEMMA)
• 12:45 – 1:00 PM
• Break​
• 1:00 – 1:45 PM
• Panel Discussion
• Panelists:
• Carinna Kenigsberg, Director of Programs and Impact at Power To Be
• Tanelle Bolt, Founder of RAD, Recreation Adapted Society
• Patrick Lord, Team Lead for the Outdoor Pursuits program at Prospect Human Services
• Noah Papatsie, Director – Nunavut, Inclusion Canada
• Moderator:
• Alison Whiting, Research Analyst at Engineering Health Team
• 1:45 – 2:00 PM
• Break
• 2:00 – 2:15 PM
• Lucy Diaz, Advocate for Accessibility
• Title: Are Washrooms in Canada’s National Parks Actually Accessible?
• 2:15 – 2:30 PM
• Tracey Dickson, Associate Professor of Event and Tourism Management in the Canberra Business School, University of Canberra 
• Simon Darcy, Professor of Social Inclusion in the Management Department of the UTS Business School, University of Technology Sydney.
• Title: Inclusive Accessibility Policy Development: ​
  An Example from an Australian Protected Area Organisation
• 2:30 – 2:45 PM
• Julie Nowak, Founder of the Seasonal Body Project​
• Title: Virtual Park Accessibility
• 2:45 – 3:00 PM
• Break
• 3:00 – 3:15 PM
• David Ostro, Disability Foundation and British Columbia Mobility Opportunities Society
• Title: Exploring New Frontiers of Accessibility
• 3:15 – 3:30 PM
• Mark Groulx, Associate Professor at UNBC School of Planning and Sustainability
• Title: Accessible Nature Beyond City Limits
• 3:30 – 3:45 PM
• Closing Remarks by Tilak Dutta, Scientist, KITE Research Institute, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute – University Health Network
• Title: What is Next for Park Accessibility?