The City, in partnership with the Municipal Accessibility Advisory Committee (MAAC), created the Celebrating Accessibility Awards in 2011 to recognize a person, group or organization that has made or is making a significant contribution beyond legislated requirements, towards improving access for persons with disabilities in Kingston. 

Award Criteria

• Eligible nominees for a Kingston Celebrating Accessibility Award are: Kingston residents, organizations, or businesses, who have had a positive impact on accessibility in Kingston.
• Nominees whose paid employment or educational requirements include an accessibility component are not eligible for the award unless they demonstrate exceptional accomplishment.
• The achievement should reflect a nominee's positive impact on accessibility in the past three years (2021 to 2023).
• The selection of awards will be based on the information submitted with the nomination form. When submitting the nomination, nominators can submit additional information including letters of support, testimonials, pictures, drawings, etc.
• Incomplete and/or late nominations will be accepted at the sole discretion of the committee.

Award Categories

Awards will be given out in the following three categories: Business, Community Member and Community Organization.

As part of the application process, nominees will be asked to identify the area(s) that their nominee’s work best reflects:

Built Environment: a building, interior, or outdoor space purposely designed, modified, or renovated to eliminate barriers and/or enhance access for people with disabilities.

Customer Service: breaking down barriers that prevent customers with disabilities from accessing the services they need. Barriers include physical/architectural, technological, information or communication, organizational and attitudinal.

Design of Public Spaces: making communal spaces, such as trails, beaches, rest stops, outdoor play spaces, accessible parking, or outdoor paths of travel more accessible.

Education: identifying and removing barriers to student participation in learning at all levels from kindergarten to post-secondary and adult education.

Employment: employers making their workplace practices accessible to potential or current workers with disabilities.

Health Care: making the health care system more accessible to patients with disabilities as well as any patients’ support people.

Information and Communication: creating, providing, and receiving information and communications that people with disabilities can access. Accessible information and communication provide all people an equal chance to learn and be active in their communities.

Transportation: making the features and equipment on transportation services, including routes and vehicles, accessible to passengers with disabilities.

Selection committee

The award's selection committee chooses the finalist from amongst the nominations received. The selection committee is comprised of four members of the City's Municipal Accessibility Advisory Committee (MAAC). All selection committee deliberations will remain confidential and decisions are final. 

Selection factors

The selection committee will consider the following factors:

• The degree to which the initiative demonstrates innovation and creativity in preventing, identifying and removing barriers to accessibility
• The degree to which the initiative enhances accessibility for persons with disabilities
• The degree to which the initiative improves the quality of life for persons with disabilities
• The impact the initiative has on developing and delivering interesting and effective awareness about disability and accessibility issues

Award Winners

2023

• Community Member – Eva Carlin, Amber Potter
• Community Organization – Bloom Skills Centre, Extend-A-Family Kingston

2022

• Community Member – Bailey Daniels, Claire Davies, Leah Riddell
• Community Organization – Polson Park Public School

2021

• Business – YGK Thrift
• Community Member – Yessica Rivera Belsham
• Community Organization – Lionhearts Inc.

2020

• Business - Cindy McQueen, Roving Dental Hygiene
• Community Member - Valera Castanov
• Community Organization - H’art Centre

2019

• Built Environment - Kingston Community Health Centres & Queen’s University Summerhill / Agnes Benidickson House
• Customer Service - Kingston Coffee House
• Education - Kelly Hawley, Winston Churchill Public School
• Recreation - Extend-a-Family Kingston
• Youth - Seth Glasner

• Other - David Dossett, Martello Alley

2018

• Built Environment - The Screening Room: Wendy Huot
• Customer Service - Quarry Medical: Dr. John Nuttall and Foot Care Nurses
• Education - H'art Centre: MixAbilities Artist/Educator Training Program
• Employment - Pita Pit: Alex DesRochers
• Recreation - Kingston Circus Arts: Accessible Circus for Everyone - Erin Ball
• Volunteer - Kingston Elite All-Star Cheerleading: Team Volunteers and Coaches
• Youth - St. Martha Catholic School: Stop Gap School Project
• Other - Downtown Kingston: Rotary Comfort Zones at Santa Claus Parade

2017

• Education - Jordan De Rooy, Teacher & Coach, LCVI
• Employment - Michael Moore, Costco Kingston
• Recreation - Vicki Keith, Kingston Y Penguins
• Customer Service - Deaf Mentor Grass Creek Park Summer Camp, City of Kingston Recreation and Leisure Services
• Built Environment - NORTHSIDE Espresso + Kitchen, Jessica Huddle and Cade Pentland-Boyce
• Volunteer - Volunteers of the Humanitarian Program, Independent Order of Odd Fellows
• Other - Wheelchair Rally, Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour

2016

• Built Environment - Kingston Community Health Centres, 263 Weller Ave. and 115 Barrack St.
• Customer Service - Kimberly Sutherland Mills, Kingston Frontenac Public Library
• Education - James McNutt, GoPro Camera Journey Sequence Video #1
• Employment - Dolphin Digital Technologies Inc., Disabilities Mentoring Day & J. E. Agnew Food Services Ltd. (Tim Hortons)
• Recreation - KAMHA Special Needs Hockey, Rob Chapman & Kingston Yacht Club, Able Sail Kingston
• Volunteer - Peter Rose and Seniors Association Kingston, carpenter volunteers
• Other - Tara McCallan, Happy Soul Project

2015

• MusicMates

2014

• Kingston 4 Paws Service Dogs

2013

• Providence Care

2012

• H'art School

2011

• allAbilities Fitness