Take Action on Access Awareness
Take Action
How to Participate in Access Awareness Week Nova Scotia
Recognize Access Awareness Week Nova Scotia (AAWNS) 2025 by getting involved locally, in your communities with organizations working to remove barriers to inclusion, including their local municipalities. Whether it is hosting an event, celebrating Nova Scotian leaders in accessibility, ordering an Access Awareness Week flag, or sharing resources to improve access, there are many ways to get involved in Access Awareness Week Nova Scotia.
- Take Action on Access Awareness!: Participate in AAWNS 2025
- Our Voices, Our Voices: Disability Rights in Action
- Additional Resources
Take Action
How to Participate in Access Awareness Week Nova Scotia
Recognize Access Awareness Week Nova Scotia (AAWNS) 2026 by getting involved locally, in your communities with organizations working to remove barriers to inclusion, including their local municipalities. Whether it is hosting an event, celebrating Nova Scotian leaders in accessibility, ordering an Access Awareness Week flag, or sharing resources to improve access, there are many ways to get involved in Access Awareness Week Nova Scotia.
- Take Action on Access Awareness!: Participate in AAWNS 2026
- Disability Justice: Stronger Together | First Voice Leading Change for Collective Action
- Additional Resources
Actions
Take Action on Access Awareness
Plan an Activity or Event!
Plan an event to raise awareness and continue the conversation on the experiences of people with disabilities in your organization.
Having a public event in Nova Scotia for Access Awareness Week? Submit your event below.
Order an AAWNS Flag!
We have flags available for you to order to promote Access Awareness Week Nova Scotia (AAWNS) and help with your Access Awareness Week Nova Scotia event.
Share about Access Awareness!
Share the word about Access Awareness Week and the importance of improving access and disability inclusion in Nova Scotia
Follow NSLEO for Updates
Check Out Activities and Events!
There are many events that are happening from May 25th – 31st, 2025 from events hosted by PAANS to community events across the province. Check out the events that are happening during Access Awareness Week Nova Scotia!
Disability Justice: Stronger Together
First Voice Leading Change for Collective Action
Resources
What Is Disability Justice?
Disability Justice is a framework that centers intersectionality in the movement by prioritizing lived experiences that are historically excluded from conversations and solutions. This can include but not limited to, people with disabilities who are also women, people of colour, 2SLGBTQIA+, African Nova Scotians, Indigenous, and immigrants.
It is important not to confuse Disability Justice with Disability Rights, Disability Inclusion, and disability experience within the justice system.
- Disability Rights is a movement to recognize civil rights of people with disabilities
- Disability Inclusion is ensuring that people with disabilities have equal access by removing barriers
- Disability experience within the justice system is the lived experience of people with disabilities interacting with the political, legal, and justice system.
Disability Justice is ensuring that everyone, especially people with disabilities with intersectional identities and cross-disability, can have access to their communities and services. In order to achieve this, no one is left behind when considering principles and solutions to improve accessibility.
10 Principles of Disability Justice
Sins Invalid informed Disability Justice with the 10 principles. Learn more about these 10 principles from Sins Invalid on their website including an ASL-Interpreted video.
-
- Intersectionality
- Leadership of Those Most Impacted
- Anti-Capitalist Politic
- Commitment to Cross-Movement Organizing
- Recognizing Wholeness
- Sustainability
- Commitment to Cross-Disability Solidarity
- Interdependence
- Collective Access
- Collective Liberation
Learn More about Disability Justice
Check out resources below to learn more about Disability Justice.
Resource: What is Disability Justice?, Disability & Philanthropy Forum
Video: Disability Justice DEI Dictionary, The Oxford Review
Article: Moving From Disability Rights to Disability Justice, World Institute on Disability
Resources List: Disability Justice, Project LETS
Research Article: Carmel, J. M., Chapman, S., & Wright, P. (2025). Disability Justice: The Challenges of Inclusion in Everyday Life. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/1034912X.2025.2456288
Resources
First Voice Leading Change
Lived experience is important for understanding barriers that people can experience and inform us of potential solutions for more accessible communities. Look back with us on panel discussions and speakers who provided their lived experience to allow us to have a deeper understanding of the barriers and successes for access awareness.
Learn More
Additional Resources
Government of Nova Scotia Resources
Accessibility Directorate Resource Hub
Resources such as Access Includes Everyone campaign materials, posters, Microsoft Teams backgrounds, and email signatures.
Accessibility Directorate Website
For more information on what the Accessibility Directorate is and their role for accessibility legislation.
Impacts of COVID-19 Infographics
Check the inforgraphics below for information from the Accessibility Directorate and the Government of Nova Scotia on the impacts of COVID-19 on Nova Scotians with disabilities.
Accessibility is Important to Nova Scotians
Information about Infographic
Source: Public opinion research survey conducted by telephone, February and March 2022
-
9 out of 10 know that accessibility is a human right
-
80% say that accessibility is very important to them
-
6 out of 10 know we have a goal to be accessible by 2030
Barriers experienced by Nova Scotians with disabilities
Information about Infographic
Source: Public opinion research survey conducted by telephone, February and March 2022
-
Most common barriers faced by respondents with disabilities are Built Environment, Stigma/Attitudinal, Supports for Daily Living, Employment, and Communication.
-
86% of Nova Scotians know there are barriers other than accessing buildings and public spaces
Awareness of Disability and Inclusion
Information about Infographic
Source: Public opinion research survey conducted by telephone, February and March 2022
-
3 out of 4 Nova Scotians feel comfortable telling others they have a disability
-
96% of Nova Scotians know disabilities can be visible and invisible
-
1 out of 3 Nova Scotians interact daily with someone who has a disability
The Impact of COVID-19 on people with disabilities
Information about Infographic
Source: Public opinion research survey conducted by telephone, February and March 2022
-
Four in five people with disabilities say COVID-19 has negatively impacted them
-
Top three negative impacts: Isolation/lack of social interactions / Employment/financial impact / Mental health impact
-
Overall health and wellbeing for people with disabilities is 21% worse than before COVID-19
-
Mental and emotional wellbeing for people with disabilities is 23% worse than before COVID-19
-
Financial situation for people with disabilities is 24% worse than before COVID-19
National AccessAbility Week Resources
National AccessAbility Week is happening the same week as Access Awareness Week Nova Scotia. Check out some of the organizations that contribute to the national initiative.
Rick Hansen Foundation
National AccessAbility Week was founded as ‘National Access Awareness Week’ in 1988 and inspired by Rick Hansen’s Man In Motion World Tour.
Easter Seals Canada
Red Shirt Day is hosted by Easter Seals Canada that is happening during National AccessAbility Week. Learn how to participate below.
reachAbility
In Nova Scotia, reachAbility lead National AccessAbility Week. Check out what they are doing in the province to connect with the national intiative.
Government of Canada Resources
Accessibility Standards Canada
Check out resources relating to accessible communications for COVID-19 and accessible and inclusive workplace guidelines.
Employment and Social Development Canada
Learn more about the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) and what the Government of Canada is working on for an Accessible Canada.
NSLEO Resources
Book List
Check out some book recomodations relating to disabilty experience and access awareness.
Emergency Prepareness
Preparing for an emergency is important, especially with the increasing weather events that has been happening in Nova Scotia.
Communications
Want to learn how to improve your communications practices for persons with disabilities, check out some resources below.
Halifax Public Libraries Resources
Accessibility
Check out some book recomodations, events, and resources relating to disabilty experience and access awareness.
AMANS Municipal IDEAS Resources
Education and Training
Check out some education, training, tools and resources related to accessibility
Sea Change Co Lab
Resource Hub
Check out some accessiblity resources collected by Sea Change Co Lab.
get involved
Access Awareness Week Nova Scotia
Access Awareness Week Nova Scotia is driven by a single goal; to change the narrative for persons with disabilities by doing our part in raising awareness and taking action on disability issues. The events and initiatives hosted during this week are informed by first voice using a disability lens to ensure inclusion and accessibility for everyone.