Keweenaw Report Your Source for Local News and Sports
The Upper Peninsula Accessibility Summit will bring unique conversations forward. Over the past year, the Accessible Keweenaw Initiative has organized the Upper Peninsula’s first accessibility summit. AKI co-chairs Jenn Shaud and Rachel Pressley says that the community’s support over the year has been incredible. And with only one week away both add presenters, sponsors, and organizers can’t wait for next Thursday to come.
Through this process, we learned that there was a lot more needed for education and expertise and also celebration around accessibility in our community. We wrote for funding through the Keweenaw Community Foundation to host a summit, and it was funded by the Joe Fried Empowerment Fund. – Rachel Pressley, Co-Chair, Accessible Keweenaw Initiative
Over two days at the Rozsa Center disability professionals, municipal leaders, and the community will meet to discuss advancing universal design principles in the region.
We’re also hoping to talk about the best way to integrate people with disabilities in the workforce, which there are some financial implications and incentives for businesses, and we’re going to look at those so that we can get more people with disabilities out working and involved in the community. – Jenn Shaud, Co-Chair, Accessible Keweenaw Initiative
Shaud says that the summit also plans to award several communities from around the Upper Peninsula for projects and programs aimed at making communities more accessible for all people.
We also want to acknowledge the great work that people are doing regarding accessibility in our community. So we will have awards for five different categories, including local units of government, people, projects, businesses, and organizations that are all doing an amazing job in our community. – Jenn Shaud, Co Chair, Accessible Keweenaw Initiative
The summit will act as a catalyst for many leaders around the Upper Peninsula to share ideas says Pressley. And the hope is attendees can take what they learn into their communities.
And so we are very excited to see their interest in signing up. Many of them were partners with us last year when we did the Accessible Keweenaw Initiative coalition. And now they’re continuing forward while also applying for grants to make their facilities accessible. So we feel excited to continue this conversation with them and also connect them with more experts and opportunities for funding and also to learn what other communities are doing. So that they can get inspired and continue going. – Rachel Pressley, Co-Chair, Accessible Keweenaw Initiative
The Upper Peninsula Accessibility Summit will close registration after today. Those who may want to sign up, but run out of time should contact Rachel Pressley from the western Upper Peninsula planning and development region for more information. The Upper Peninsula accessibility summit will begin next Thursday at the Rozsa Center. Find more information about the Upper Peninsula Accessibility Summit below.
