Canadian Centre on Disability Studies: Research Outcomes
January 2008- June 2009
Background
A more unified approach to the design of
cities and communities is needed in Canada to make them more livable and
inclusive. While great strides have been made in creating accessible public
spaces, there is a shortage of even minimally accessible private housing in
Canada for seniors who want to ‘age in place’ and those with reduced mobility.
Visitable housing is a concept that supports a community by enabling anyone
regardless of mobility to enter your
home, visit and use the bathroom. Can you invite your elderly parents
to your home? A shift in thinking and planning is needed to make the
three features of visitable housing (no step entrance, wider doors and a
bathroom on the main floor) a standard in home construction practices. Dialogues with community members (seniors and
people with disabilities), home builders and policy makers from previous CCDS
projects, concluded that affordable, accessible and available housing is
highlighted as a priority area whose qualities are displayed in the promising
practice of visitable housing.
Introduction
The Canadian Centre on Disability
Studies received a grant from the Winnipeg Foundation in 2008. This community
capacity building project has developed and implemented a Winnipeg-based
“Visitability Education and Awareness Campaign” which has been a catalyst for
learning and action in private housing in Winnipeg.
Objectives
1. Build community capacity by
increasing understanding of crosscutting issues and develop joint strategies
and programs of action.
2. Build partnerships with community
groups, organizations and government that have a stake in the housing industry.
3. Education and awareness on visitable
housing by developing educational materials to share and present at a range of
community events.
Results
Visitable Housing Working Group
In 2006, CCDS initiated a Visitable
Housing Working Group based in Winnipeg. The group is active and coordinated by
CCDS. Membership includes seniors,
people with disabilities, planners, builders, architects and government
representatives. The multi-sector, action-oriented group has access to
innovative research and their vast knowledge and experience with visitable
housing assists in facilitating community learning and action.
This Working Group is part of a larger
National Visitability Network that was established as part of CCDS’ 2006
project on visitable housing funded by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
CCDS maintains the network to link professionals, individuals, and advocates
with a bi-annual newsletter that updates members on activities, initiatives and
progress made on visitable housing in Canada.
Visitability Speakers
CCDS staff and working group members
have provided leadership in developing educational materials to share at a
variety of community events and make presentations online, at conferences and
public events on the concept and benefits of visitable housing.
Education and Awareness Campaign
As a part of public education and
awareness campaign, CCDS and Working Group members focused efforts on
translating the concept of visitability in a visual media-based social context
in a variety of ways:
a) CCDS purchased space on 23 Winnipeg
Transit buses for a 6 week period of time from December 15, 2008 to January 26,
2009. The working group selected this time of year to capitalize on the Holiday
season to bring the social context of community, neighbourhood, family and
interconnection; visiting each other is a central part of our social lives and
everyone should be able to visit each other especially during the holidays.
(See image below);
b) The City of Winnipeg Community
Relations Bus was utilized for the month of February 2009, using the same
graphics as for the campaign above;
c) CCDS composed a Holiday Greeting Card
that was distributed throughout our networks including our funders, community
organizations and CCDS membership.
Recommendations
The feedback on the education campaign
was very positive from both the working group and community members. The
working group suggested continuing the public transit campaigns and depicting
other users such as a bike rider or a parent with a stroller, to expand the
understanding that this concept benefits all people. Recommendations include:
a) Community members should develop and
lead a Speakers Bureau to promote knowledge and experiences with visitable
housing;
b) Continue the Winnipeg-based
visitability public education media campaign;
c) Maintain the Working Group on
visitable housing to facilitate change in the government, share information and
work towards establishing more visitable housing;
d) Continue research and validation of
the visitability premise with Canadian perspectives;
e) Identify how to change the National
Building Code which legislates and regulates building standards in Canada.
Conclusions
As a result of this project,
visitability as the concept is gaining momentum. The leadership capacity of the
community has increased, the number of key partnerships with housing and
community organizations has grown and the awareness and understanding of
community members has improved on the concept and benefits of visitable
housing. The education campaign proved
to be a success and is just the first step in sharing information that will
change the way we build our homes.
For more information visit CCDS’
website: www.disabilitystudies.ca or
www.visitablehousingcanada.com
Funder: The Winnipeg Foundation
CANADIAN CENTRE ON DISABILITY STUDIES
56 THE PROMENADE. WINNIPEG.
CANADA. R3B 3H9 WWW.DISABILITYSTUDIES.CA
Email: ccds@disabilitystudies.ca Phone: 204.287.8411 Fax: 204.284.5343
TTY: 204.475.6223