St. George Hosts Provincial Kickoff to Disability Awareness Week

St. George, New Brunswick hosted the provincial kickoff event for Disability Awareness Week. Disability Awareness Week continues the tradition of National Access Awareness Week first established in 1988 to promote better community access for people with disabilities. The name of the annual awareness week was changed in 1998 to ensure that all issues related to persons with a disability could be promoted.

The kickoff event in St. George was a barbeque party that took place outside of Repeat Boutique on Brunswick Street, which is operated by Community Living Center. Repeat Boutique is a renowned Eastern Charlotte charitable organization in Eastern Charlotte that not only raises funds to support the important work of Community Living Center through the sale of second-hand goods and clothing, but also employs people with disabilities. Many of the employs of Repeat Boutique also attend Community Living Center in St. George and were also in attendance at the kickoff event for DAW. 

The main goal of Disability Awareness Week is to raise public awareness of the existing barriers that prevent citizens with disabilities from full and equal participation in all aspects of their community and what can and should be done to correct these problems. DAW also celebrates examples of best practices and advancements made towards full inclusion for citizens with disabilities.

Among the esteemed speakers at the event were Executive Director of Community Living Center Laura-Lee Carrier, St. George Mayor John Detorakis, Blacks Harbour Mayor John Craig, and Fundy-The Isles-Saint John West Member of the Legislative Assembly Andrea Anderson-Mason.