Celebration Square Awarded Rick Hansen Foundation Accessible Cities Award Circle of Excellence Venue

Mississauga Celebration Square has been recognized as one of five national winners of the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessible Cities Award Circle of Excellence Venue. The award is given to an organization whose space or place showcases best practices in accessibility.

“This is a great achievement for our City as we create accessible and barrier-free communities,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie. “Our age-friendly and universally designed space shows our commitment to improving the quality of life for people with disabilities, while providing enjoyment for all. As an award-winning public space, Mississauga Celebration Square continues to be a destination for people who live, work and play in the city.”

Mississauga Celebration Square met a range of criteria for award consideration, including: addressing or overcoming accessibility issues, having accessibility features, improving quality of life for people with disabilities and being an example of best practices for others.

“The success of Mississauga Celebration Square is the result of dedicated City staff involvement from various service areas, including feedback from the City’s Accessibility Advisory Committee in the early design stage,” said Raj Sheth, Director, Facilities and Property Management.

Some of the many accessible features at Mississauga Celebration Square include:

• fully accessible main stage with ramp, accessible backstage washrooms and change facilities
• designated specialized TransHelp stop area
• sloped ramps throughout the area to deal with surface grade differences
• wayfinding in underground parking with colour coding and themes
• fully accessible splash pad and ice rink
• universal washrooms
• LED lighting

“Improving and building accessibility into City facilities and public spaces is an important part of ensuring that everyone in Mississauga feels they belong,” said Matt Mahoney, Ward 8 Councillor and Accessibility Advisory Committee member.

“This achievement would not be possible without the support of the members of the Accessibility Advisory Committee who work tirelessly to make recommendations to Council on how we can remove barriers and make all our public places accessible to all,” added Pat Saito, Ward 9 Councillor and Accessibility Advisory Committee member.

For more information about accessibility in the City, visit mississauga.ca/accessibility.

About Rick Hansen Foundation:

The Rick Hansen Foundation was established as a Canadian charity in 1988 and is dedicated to Rick Hansen’s life-long goal of creating an inclusive world where people with disabilities are living to their full potential. For three decades, the Foundation has raised awareness, changed attitudes and removed barriers for people with disabilities. For more information, visit rickhansen.com.