Accessibility committee joining national mapping event

In an effort to make communities easier to navigate, the Chatham-Kent accessibility advisory committee will take part in a Canada-wide event Sunday.

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MapMission 2024 kicks off at 11 am, starting at Turns & Tales Cafe at 213 King St. W. in downtown Chatham.

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The project, organized by AccessNow, an accessibility technology company, will map, review and rank the accessibility of businesses and public spaces in Canadian communities.

Results will show the successes and barriers that exist for people living with disabilities in how they live, work and play.

“MapMission is an event that puts the power of action in your hands,” AccessNow founder Maayan Ziv said in a release.

“Think of it like an accessible scavenger hunt,” he said. “MapMissions bring people together to rate places in real-time on the AccessNow app.”

Participants can compile accessibility information in four ways, by:

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  • Adding an accessibility rating to the AccessNow app.
  • Taking photos of places reviewed, so users know what to expect.
  • Selecting tags by noting accessibility features, such as accessible washrooms, ramps, automatic doors and elevators.
  • Describing unique experiences, such as friendly staff, table heights, etc., in their own words.

“We invite the community to join us at our Chatham meetup for a collaborative mapping event,” said Sara Ebare, who chairs the accessibility advisory committee. “Share ideas, explore the city together and make a difference.”

All are welcome to join the mapping event, with the goal of transforming Canada into an inclusive space for everyone.

“Committee (members) are totally dedicated to making Chatham-Kent more accessible. . . I am so impressed with their energy and the work they do to make our communities more inclusive,” said Alysson Storey, council’s representative on the committee.

“That’s why it was so exciting to learn about the MapMission event organized by AccessNow.”

Storey said she connected with Ziv through a mutual friend, Mike Pegg, who is a key player in Silicon Valley in California, but hails from the South Kent area.

Sunday’s event will happen rain or shine. If raining, the review work will move inside Turns & Tales.

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