The City of Guelph celebrated the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, with a brief presentation at City Hall. City Accessibility Coordinator, Kayla Besse, highlighted this year’s UN theme of Fostering Disability-Inclusive Societies for Advancing Social Progress.
Besse outlined the City of Guelph’s ongoing work to enhance accessibility across departments, including updates that will offer on-demand accessible document training in the new year.
After the presentation, Meg Harding, representing our Guelph Barrier Free Committee, along with various other attendees joined Mayor Cam Guthrie for a flag-raising ceremony outside Guelph City Hall.
The International Day of Persons with Disabilities Flag will remain up until the end of the week.
At noon on Tuesday, May 27, members of the Guelph community gathered in front of City Hall to celebrate National AccessAbility Week (NAAW). The event, hosted by the Guelph Barrier Free Committee (GBFC), brought together local leaders, advocates, and residents to champion a more inclusive and accessible city for all.
Kayla Besse served as the event’s MC, setting the tone for an afternoon of reflection, inclusivity, and awareness. The ceremony featured three inspiring speakers, each offering unique perspectives on accessibility in Guelph.
Justin Reesor, Chair of the GBFC, opened the event with a warm welcome, inviting the community to continue supporting inclusivity not only during NAAW but throughout the year.
Mayor Cam Guthrie emphasized that accessibility doesn’t just happen during National AccessAbility Week it’s something we must commit to every day.
Maddy Workman, a passionate committee member, delivered a powerful call to start meaningful conversations about accessibility and people’s needs. Her words underlined the importance of advocacy and awareness in creating lasting change in our city.
Following the speeches, attendees were invited to the flagpole to witness the raising of the NAAW flag. With Mayor Guthrie leading the way, the flag was hoisted as a symbol of Guelph’s ongoing commitment to a barrier free Guelph.
The Guelph Barrier Free Committee thanks all who attended and encourages everyone to continue the conversation, take action, and help build a city where everyone belongs.
Brad, Maddie, Kayla, Meg, Kelsey, and Justin hold up the National AccessAbility Week flag outside of Guelph City Hall at the flag raising ceremony.
Join us in celebrating 2025 National AccessAbility Week! Also known as “NAAW”, this week seeks to promote accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities. NAAW is an wonderful opportunity to recognize the contributions of Canadians with disabilities and raises awareness around making Canada a more accessible place to be.
This year, NAAW will be held from May 25 – May 31
We have 2 events planned for our celebration this year! Both events are listed below with details.
