The International Day of Persons with Disabilities is being marked in Grande Prairie at the Teresa Sargent Hall with the IDPD Peace Country Inclusive Community Award and luncheon.
The event will feature talks from Alberta wheelchair basketball Hall of Famer Brian McPherson, and the local IDPD theme is: “Removing Barriers, The Future is Accessible.”
Co-President of the IDPD Peace Region Planning Committee Kristen Reiswig says the theme highlights the IDPD’s efforts to provide community opportunities for everyone, regardless of disability.
“A big part of IDPD, is to encourage education about persons with disabilities and create a very accommodating community,” she says. “We really want to emphasize that despite any barriers or disability, we really need to provide opportunities to create a community that is as diverse and inclusive as possible.”
As part of the luncheon, the IDPD Peace Region will be presenting the Inclusive Community Award. Reiswig adds that the award is significant for the community as it recognizes individuals who demonstrate dedication to offering support to persons with disabilities.
“It’s a way to honour those individuals who have gone above and beyond, whether it’s in their jobs, in their volunteering, who’ve made a lot of strides to make the community more inclusive.”
“We want to ensure that everyone in our community, regardless of barriers, are able to participate.”
The event is scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on December 1st and tickets are available for $10.
