Current Activities – Research Program
Research Committee
Current Committee Membership:
Donna Collins, Cary Brown, Trish Wielandt, Colleen Watters, Allen Mankewich, Olga Krassioukova-Enns, Shahin Shooshtari, Gina Sylvestre, Janalee Morris-Wales, Suzanne Gessler, Don Fuchs, Raj Dhruvarajan, Tracy Bone
Livable and Inclusive Communities Project
In 2010, the Canadian Centre on Disability Studies received approval from the Office for Disability Issues (Human Resources and Skills Development Canada) to continue developing a model (Livable and Inclusive Communities Model) and set of tools that would assist in understanding the makeup of and processes required to create communities that are livable and inclusive for seniors with disabilities. The project is premised on the idea that a more integrated and holistic planning process is needed to help government and community develop livable and inclusive communities. The rationale for focusing on seniors with disabilities is twofold:
- Better planning for this population, equates to better planning for all as the majority of individuals are living longer and approximately 14.3% or 4,417,870 of all Canadians have some form of disability; and
- Canada has a growing population of seniors (age 65 and over) and with that growth there is a corresponding increase in the number of individuals experiencing disabilities.
As the project progresses, it is intended that the model and tools will provide government and community with an improved process for planning that will lead to more informed policy and program decision-making and resource allocation. This phase of the project does not itemize need, conduct gap analysis or identify issue-based solutions. Its main intention is to develop and evaluate an integrated approach to planning that supports development of interventions that will contribute to the livability and inclusiveness of communities for seniors with disabilities.
Visitable Housing Working Group
The CCDS- based Visitable Housing Working Group has established a relationship with a University of Manitoba Graphic Design professor, in which he defined the need for a visitable housing marketing campaign as a student project. The students learned about the inclusive concept and developed a range of ideas and approaches. The Working Group is discussing the possibility of utilizing these ideas for a future marketing campaign.
CCDS staff have continues to build relationships with the Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM), with a focus on visitable housing education and awareness as it relates to livable and inclusive communities. In November 2009 a presentation was made to the AMM annual convention on visitable housing and an article written in the Municipal Leader Journal that goes to all of their membership.
