Visitability: Moving Towards Livable, Sustainable Housing + Communities in Canada Think Tank

Overview

A first national Visitability Think Tank on Livable, Sustainable Housing and Communities was
 held by CCDS on May 11-13 2007 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The event brought together over 60
key stakeholders such as seniors and disability organizations, policy makers, designers,
homebuilders, community developers, real estate professionals, municipal officials, health care
professionals and building code specialists. The Think Tank activities included presentations,
discussion periods and site tours of visitable homes in Winnipeg. The goals of the Think Tank
included learning about national and international trends, initiatives, successes and challenges;
establishing links between visitability, environmentally sustainable and affordable housing
markets; and creating catalysts for change thus contributing to inclusive, sustainable
communities that support all citizens.

CCDS has committed itself to hosting a follow-up event in March 2008 to continue to support this work.

If you have any any questions please contact Laura Rempel at research3@disabilitystudies.ca or
CCDS at ccds@disabilitystudies.ca

Framework for Action

The outcome of the Think Tank was the development of the Framework for Action for Canada that outlined the following actions:
· Education and awareness raising of public, professionals, policy makers, designers, homebuilders and other key sectors.
· Development of strategic partnerships with key groups
· Continued research and validation of visitability premise with Canadian perspectives
· Maintain the momentum for visitability in Canada built from the Think Tank
· Identification of how to target legislation and regulation in documents like the National Building Code
· Development of a feedback mechanism for continued dialogue, new projects and initiatives

Presentation/Presenter List

May 11, 2007
Moving from an Idea to an International Force - Eleanor Smith
Visitability in Canada Project Overview - Laurie Ringaert
Forces Influencing Diffusion
Market forces in Real Estate- Peggy Stewart
Sustainability- Rodney McDonald
Building Use + Safety- Jake Pauls
Impact on general population- Judy Redmond
Manitoba Opportunities and Challenges
Challenges from MHRC report- Glen Manning
City of Winnipeg Perspective- Jenny Gerbasi
Visitable Homes with Habitat for Humanity and Architects Without Borders-Winnipeg- Mike Johnson and Laura Rempel
Consumer Challenges- Don Ament

May 12, 2007
“ And they said Visitability Wouldn’t Work” - Mayor Roger Claar, Bolingbrook, Illinois
Seniors as Driving Force
CCDS Aging + Disability Group - Harry Paine
Community Design - Laurie Ringaert
Seniors Focus - Moira Jones
Lessons Learned From Across Canada
British Columbia - Vincent Miele
Nova Scotia - Ralph Ferguson
Other Provincial Updates - Laurie Ringaert
Age Friendly Cities Project - Jim Hamilton and Verena Menec
How Visitability is Moving Forward Internationally - David Rapson

May 13, 2007

The site tours included visiting three very differently motivated homes. The first home was both visitable and fully accessible and built

with those features in mind from the planning stage (to allow for a person using a wheelchair to live in the home and allow friends to visit).

The second was a visitable renovation (to allow a family member using a wheelchair to visit).

The third was a visitable affordable housing project for a family of 11 none of whom currently require basic accessibility.

Think Tank Invitation

Canadian Centre on Disability Studies

56 The Promenade Winnipeg, Manitoba Tel: 204 287-8411 Fax: 204 284-5343 TTY: 204 475-6223 Email: ccds@disabilitystudies.ca