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Innisfil, ON - The Town of Innisfil wants to inspire other communities based on the success of its Breaking Down Barriers Awareness program. This engaging and interactive program, led by the Innisfil Accessibility Advisory Committee (IAAC), introduces youth to the concept of living in an inclusive world through hands-on educational workshops.

“Teaching youth about disabilities is vital,” says Kim Creamer, Assistant Clerk, Town of Innisfil. “It's important because they're going to be the builders, the architects, the businesspeople of the world,” Creamer says. “We want to teach them so that when they move into their roles within the society, they have this in the back of their mind so that they can teach that forward.”

The program's concept was developed by former IAAC chair Margaretta Papp-Belayneh, who had a vision for educating the community on removing obstacles for people with disabilities. The program started in 2013 and began working with schools in 2016. Even though anyone could benefit from the knowledge, access to school-aged students provided an eager audience keen to learn more about the world. While initially the group experimented with different grades, they found it resonated most with Grade 5 students.

The program uses hands-on stations where students experience for themselves what it is like to be hearing and/or vision impaired, have sensory issues, and navigate a wheelchair through public spaces. The program also teaches children about the concept of an invisible disability and how to approach people who may need help because of a barrier. While the program was temporarily on hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic, it reopened in the fall of 2023, with approximately 350-500 students per year taking part. This year the program has grown from eight participating schools to an anticipated 11.

The Breaking Down Barriers Awareness program supports the Town’s larger focus on fostering inclusivity through various strategic initiatives and plans, including its Multi-Year Accessibility Plan. “The Town is dedicated to creating an inclusive environment for all individuals – including those with disabilities – ensuring dignity, independence, integration, and equal opportunities for all residents,” says Councillor Robert Saunders, Chair of the IAAC. “The community of Innisfil is open and willing to explore innovative solutions, and Breaking Down Barriers is supporting youth in thinking of innovative and inclusive solutions to community challenges.”

By reinforcing the importance of universal access and inclusion for everyone, Breaking Down Barriers also challenges the stigma associated with disabilities, points out volunteer Dana Donaldson, a certified Deafblind Intervention Specialist. “Stigma and ‘shying’ away from people with disabilities is still common, even among adults,” notes Donaldson. “However, by educating children, the information reaches the entire family, including adults. Children are sponges, they just want to learn everything, and our job as adults is to teach them about different abilities,” says Donaldson. “Children tend to take that information home saying, ‘Mom, Dad, I did this today. Did you know that there are people in our community who are deaf, blind or deaf/blind, and people who use wheelchairs?’”

The Breaking Down Barriers Awareness program has also caught the attention of schools in other areas, such as Barrie, Bradford West Gwillimbury, Oakville, New Tecumseth, East Gwillimbury and the County of Simcoe. As such, the IAAC has prepared step-by-step instructions for implementing this program that are now ready to be shared with other communities.

“We are trying to remove barriers, and we feel that the best way that we can get the message out there is by teaching our youth,” says Creamer.

Those interested in learning more about the Breaking Down Barriers Awareness program or looking to bring this ground-breaking program to their community are encouraged to contact the IAAC at removingbarriers@innisfil.ca.