The County of Essex is preparing to celebrate forward movement, regardless of ability.
National AccessAbility Week runs from May 29 to June 4, and the County plans to mark the occasion with a new flag and a theme.
The flag was presented Wednesday evening to Essex County Council, and it will be raised outside the Essex Civic Centre in a ceremony on May 30. The flag was designed by Kristine Verbeek and was chosen over several submitted designs. It consists of a stylized figure of a person in a wheelchair facing the right side of the emblem, and seven chevrons pointing in that direction.
"These chevrons symbolize the seven local County municipalities moving forward with accessibility together, in the right direction, suggesting momentum, progress and action," said Committee Chairperson Christine Easterbrook. "It is the committee’s hope that raising this flag will help to raise awareness about the importance of inclusivity and ongoing accessibility issues and activities in the County of Essex."
The theme of this edition of National AccessAbility Week is "Moving Forward Together".
Other events set for the week include Red Shirt Day on June 1, a day for inclusion and accessibility. Windsor-Essex residents are encouraged to wear red that day and post pictures on social media with hashtags about accessibility.
The County is also looking for public input on the 2023-2027 Multi-Year Accessibility Plan, which will outline how the County will prevent and remove barriers to accessibility when it comes to the County's programs, services, and facilities.
The committee is also preparing to launch the second phase of its WE Check the Trails initiative with the Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA). The input was gathered last year to determine accessibility issues with the Greenway Trails. The second phase of the project launches in June and will focus on issues at other trails.
