"Embracing Ability: Redifining a Diverse Workforce"
Focusing on best practises in inclusion of persons with disabilities in the workforce, this conference will bring together forward thinking employers, innovative service providers and dynamic individuals with disabilities. The goal is to collaborate to do things better. www.abilitiesinmind.ca
Previous Conferences held by Measuring Up The North...
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Honourary International Speakers:
"Creating Universally Designed Healthy Sustainable Communities Interview with Key Conference Presenters"held Tuesday March 24, 2009
Moderator: Matt Herman, Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport. Panelists: Eleanor Smith, Concrete Change, Atlanta Georgia; Jake Pauls, Jake Pauls Consulting Services in Building Use and Safety Silver Spring, MD; Lori Slater, Measuring Up The North Community Liaison Fort St. John & MUTN Steering Committee; Laurie Ringaert, Project Director, Measuring Up The North, Prince George, BC.
Also check out the article in Prince George's Free Press from March 24th, 2009.
Eleanor Smith: Visitability Expert, Concrete Change, Atlanta
Eleanor Smith is the founder and director of Concrete Change, an international campaign for a basic level of disability access (“Visitability”) to become standard practice in all new home construction. During two decades, she has generated a network of thousands of Visitability advocates, who have passed local ordinances resulting in more than 35,000 Visitable homes which were built deliberately with basic access even though intended for the open market. Ms. Smith has helped create the credits for Visitability in green-related housing programs and is active in creating home access standards through the International Code Council. She has participated in Visitability in Canada initiatives since 2005. She believes that with the widespread awareness of the aging demographic, the high cost of nursing homes, and the desire of most elderly or disabled people to participate actively in their community, basic home access will become the norm as advocates, building and design professionals, policy makers and planners work together to bring that about.
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Jake Pauls: Jake Pauls Consulting Services in Building Use and Safety, Silver Spring, Maryland
After 25 formative years in BC, including nine years at UBC, Jake Pauls worked 20 years at NRC Canada in Ottawa. A Certified Professional Ergonomist, he has 42 years of international experience in research, codes and standards development, public health advocacy plus consulting. An expert in ergonomic, architectural, engineering and management aspects of movement of people, individually and in crowds—especially on stairways, he serves on ten US national standards and codes committees. He is well known for bridging among ergonomics, public health and the development, adoption and enforcement of codes plus standards for building usability and safety—notably in homes.
Three Days of Informative Workshops Aimed at Presenting Current Trends in Creating Livable Universally Designed Inclusive Environments for All Citizens and Visitors:
April 6th, 2009
Day One Theme: Creating Universally Designed Public Buildings and Spaces
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MUTN: A Comprehensive Approach to Liveable Communities
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The Business Case for Universal Design of the Built Environment
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Best Practises in Codes/Standards
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Best Practises Approach: Perspective of a Corporate Architect
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How Does Sustainability and Health Fit with Universal Design?
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Age-Friendly Communities, Accessible Parks, Avoiding Common Accessibility Design Errors
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Intergrating Age-Friendly, Disability-Friendly Approaches into the Official Community Plan
April 7th, 2009
Day Two Theme: Creating Visitable Housing
- What is Visitable Housing? The Business Case
- How Visitable Housing Influences Health
- Visitable Housing Trends: Where is it Happening and How?
- Technical Information: Making it Work
- Falls Prevention Through Design
Visitable Housing, Making it Happen
- Integrating Visitable Housing into Smart Development
- Why Visitable Housing is Important to Realtors
- Innovative Builders and Developers
- Best Practises Case Studies Panel
- Visitable Policy Development
- Visitable Housing Tours
April 8th, 2009
Post Conference Workshops
- Workshop 1: Usability and Safety of Stairways and Egress
- Workshop 2: Age-Friendly Communities
- Workshop 3: Active Transportation
Conference Materials: Visitable Housing