History
This 1982 document makes Canada one of the few countries in the world to provide constitutional protection for people with disabilities.
What is the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms?
Every year, Canadians celebrate National Access Ability Week starting on the last Sunday of this month.
What is May?
This legendary athlete ran 5,373 kilometres on a prosthetic leg to raise money for cancer research in his "Marathon of Hope."
Who is Terry Fox?
This famous annual run is held across Canada every September and has raised over $850 million for cancer research.
What is the Terry Fox Run?
This term refers to disabilities that aren't visible to the naked eye, such as mental health conditions or chronic pain.
What are Invisible (or Non-apparent) Disabilities?
This federal law, passed in 2019, aims to realize a barrier-free Canada by the year 2040.
What is the Accessible Canada Act (ACA)?
This Canadian city hosted the first-ever Paralympic-style games for athletes with spinal cord injuries in 1976, known as the "Torontolympiad."
What is Toronto?
Known for his "Man in Motion World Tour," this Paralympian wheeled through 34 countries to raise awareness for spinal cord research.
Who is Rick Hansen?
Canada officially ratified this United Nations Convention in 2010, committing to protect the rights of persons with disabilities.
What is the CRPD (Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities)?
This neurodevelopmental condition is often celebrated during "Neurodiversity Celebration Week" and affects 1 in 66 Canadian children.
What is Autism (or ASD)?
Established in 1918 to support veterans returning from WWI, this is one of Canada's oldest disability organizations.
What is the War Amps?
According to 2022 Statistics Canada data, this is the approximate number of Canadians aged 15 and over—representing 27% of that population—who are recognized to have one or more disabilities.
What is 8 million?
This former Paralympic swimmer served as Canada’s Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities and helped draft the Accessible Canada Act.
Who is Carla Qualtrough?
This Canadian-invented "Virtual Music Instrument" allows children with severe physical disabilities to play music using a camera and computer.
What is the VMI?
This condition, which can be permanent or episodic, affects the brain’s ability to control muscle movement and is the most common physical disability in childhood.
What is Cerebral Palsy?
This 1981 federal report, titled after its primary focus, made 130 recommendations for improving disability inclusion in Canada.
What is the Obstacles Report?
This coin, released by the Royal Canadian Mint in 2005, features the image of Terry Fox, making him the first Canadian-born person featured on a circulation coin.
What is the Loonie (or the one-dollar coin)?
This world-renowned jazz guitarist from Toronto, who was blind, was known for his unique style of playing the guitar flat on his lap.
Who is Jeff Healey?
In 2022, this Canadian province passed its own landmark Accessibility Act, joining Ontario, Manitoba, and Nova Scotia.
What is British Columbia?
This Canadian-founded organization, "Learning Disabilities Association of Canada," specifically supports people with this common reading-related disability.
What is Dyslexia?
Formed in 1976, this national organization (now called the Council of Canadians with Disabilities) was created to give people with disabilities their own political voice.
What is the COPOH (Coalition of Provincial Organizations of the Handicapped)?
This is the primary principle of the Accessible Canada Act, emphasizing that people with disabilities must be involved in policy design.
What is "Nothing Without Us"?
This Deafblind advocate and Harvard Law grad was born in Eritrea but grew up in the US and Canada, becoming a leading voice in global accessibility.
Who is Haben Girma?
This Hall of Fame athlete is the most decorated Canadian Paralympian of all time, with 21 medals in wheelchair racing.
Who is Chantal Petitclerc?
Affecting roughly 1 in 6 adults worldwide, this is the most common sensory disability, often addressed with hearing aids or cochlear implants.
What is hearing loss?