Inclusion and Access Advisory Committee

The Town of Kentville's Inclusion and Access Advisory Committee meets to evaluate, review, implement and update the accessibility plan for the Town. The committee was formed in November 2021 and consists of 5 community members, 2 elected officials and 2 staff persons. To reach out to the committee about your concerns or ideas around accessibility, please email accessibility@kentville.ca today!

Members: Mike Cameron (chair), Spencer Laing, Bernie Zinck, Gerald MacPherson, Holly Rogers, Councillor Cathy Maxwell, Councillor Gillian Yorke.

Meeting Minutes and documents: Bottom of page!

Imagine a province where our individual differences are celebrated and valued. A province where persons with disabilities are supported to participate fully in their communities. A place where we recognise that abilities vary, but our capacity to participate is not limited by barriers. A province that thrives because there is equitable opportunity for all Nova Scotians. Kentville, and all municipalities, are helping to make the entire province of Nova Scotia accessible to everyone! The province of Nova Scotia has set a goal to become accessible to everyone by the year 2030, and the Town of Kentville is working hard to help reach that goal!

Nova Scotia’s Accessibility Act, passed in September 2017, sets a goal of an accessible province by 2030. It provides a framework for improving accessibility in the areas of the built environment; transportation; the delivery of goods and services; information and communication; employment and; education. In 2020, municipalities were prescribed as public sector bodies under the Act. Kentville's Accessibility Committee was formed in the fall of 2019 and has been meeting monthly since January 2020. The Town of Kentville Accessibility Plan was released in 2020 and this standing committee has a mandate to evaluate, implement and update the plan.

Almost 20% Nova Scotians over the age of 15 identify as having a disability.

The provincial government is helping towns and counties become more accessible to everyone by preventing and removing barriers in these areas:

Built environment (for example buildings, streets, sidewalks and shared spaces);
Education (for example schools, colleges and universities);
Employment (supporting meaningful and equal access to employment for persons with disabilities);
Transportation (ex. buses, cycling, walking routes, and taxi services);
Information and communication (ex. websites, libraries, braille, large print and sign language services), and
Goods and services (how service providers interact with and are trained to serve persons with disabilities).

Want to learn more?

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