2010 Vision for Citizens With Disabilities
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The 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games are the first Olympic Games to commit to applying sustainability principles and practices to the planning, convening and legacy of the Games. Included in the six Sustainability Performance Goals identified by the organizing committee, VANOC, is Social Inclusion and Accessibility, and a group of leaders in the disability community have been working hard to ensure this goal is met.

In 2004, led by then-Councillors Tim Louis and Sam Sullivan (now Mayor of Vancouver), Vancouver City Council passed a resolution endorsing a 2010 Vision for People with Disabilities. The resolution was circulated to other B.C. municipalities, and several dozen signed on to the vision. At the same time, a coordinator was hired to develop a strategic plan for implementing the vision. This resulted in a report titled The Accessible/Inclusive Cities and Communities Project (AICCP), which would form the basis for the next stage of the initiative.

One of the AICCP's core recommendations was to develop a rating instrument that would help municipalities determine how they could make their communities more accessible and inclusive for people with disabilities. This tool was developed in the form of a guide titled Measuring Up, which was launched in March, 2006 and distributed widely.

"This guide is a starting point in engaging our citizens here in Vancouver and British Columbia about the participation and contributions of our citizens with disabilities," said Mayor Sam Sullivan. "With the attention that will be focused on Vancouver as a result of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, I believe we have an excellent opportunity to move beyond our own borders and engage citizens around the globe."

By September 2006, ten communities and one regional district were targeted and approved for field-testing the Measuring Up guide and process, including Vancouver, Whistler, Powell River, Prince George, Kamloops, Merritt, Abbotsford, Burnaby, Victoria and the Comox Valley. All pilots are in the introductory stage of development and are looking for people with various disabilities and others to participate in a plan to make their community more accessible and inclusive. Inquiries and suggested names can be forwarded to cmcewan@2010legaciesnow.com 

The Accessible/Inclusive Cities Initiative is now housed with 2010 Legacies Now, a not-for-profit society that works to develop sustainable legacies in core areas of the community, including sport and recreation, arts, literacy, and volunteerism. Its aim is to leave lasting legacies in these areas as a result of hosting the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

The Advisory Committee to the Accessibility and Inclusion Initiative is helping 2010 Legacies Now develop a strategic plan that will guide various achievements for people with disabilities in B.C. and elsewhere for many years. The new plan includes several areas for advancing access and inclusion related to the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games; technology; sport, arts and culture; international development; and using Measuring Up to support municipalities and the provincial government to resolve long-standing employment, housing, transportation and other issues affecting people with disabilities.

Date / Author	Subject Add Your Comment
Sep 19, 2021 03:01 PM	Access to information
Robert M	Please consider incorporating access to information as a key principle in planning for 2010. All forms of communication should be made accessible to individuals with differing reading preferences and abilities. Please visit www.accessiblepublishing.org for an initiative designed to aid college students with disabiltiies. Thank you!