#APN2024 Highlights Building Beyond for Access
If the annual #APN2024 conference is any indication of interest in accessibility and disability inclusion, the future is bright.
Hosted by the Rick Hansen Foundation (RHF), this year’s event took place on March 27 and 28 in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, under the sails of the Convention Centre. Response to the latest Accessible Professional Network conference was pleasantly overwhelming, with the 300 in-person tickets selling out and an additional 200 attendees joining virtually, reflecting a growing interest and commitment to creating an accessible world.
#APN2024: Building Beyond, presented by the Vancouver International Airport (YVR), featured diverse sessions covering topics from ‘Accessibility in ESG Planning’ (the conference’s most attended session) to ‘Heritage and Accessibility.’ Within this range was a common thread: a shared mission to promote disability inclusion and build communities that go far beyond mere building code compliance, spaces where creative and innovative solutions are embraced to ensure every person, including the 1 in 4 people with disabilities in Canada, can thrive and fully participate in all aspects of life.
This year’s theme, Building Beyond, urged attendees to push the boundaries of what is achievable. After each session, industry leaders were asked thought-provoking questions, including those around reconciling accessibility needs for people of different abilities. Subsequent discussions highlighted a collective willingness to explore innovative solutions and think outside conventional confines.
By the way, the answer to that question is that there is no one answer. Access, much like disability, is an individual thing; thus, each access-related query must be approached by considering the specific context of the site and its users. In the words of Brad McCannell, Vice President of Access & Inclusion at RHF: “Access is not one thing; it’s everything.”
First Impressions from #APN2024
The sentiments expressed by attendees further highlighted the importance of the APN conference.
Kate Checknita attended #APN2024 as a researcher for the First Nations Health Authority. She, along with Tsubasa Kozai and Patrick Aleck (Xwaluputhut), are involved in a project about what accessibility means to First Nations Peoples and their communities.
“We wanted to better understand accessibility from a broad lens, and the topics at this conference provided good learnings for us as researchers,” said Kate. “It’s hard to summarize what we’ve learned on the spot because there is so much. But I know I really appreciated the sessions around neurodiversity and outdoor spaces. It was also really great to hear that accessibility standards need to be more than just a checkbox.”
Patrick added that he was encouraged by the positive energy at #APN2024. “I really like the passion for accessibility at this conference. I sometimes fear that when you go to conferences, you wonder if it’s lip service or…? There’s a lot of good work being done, but there’s also a lot of work that still needs to be done.”
And, as someone with a disability, Patrick added that it was nice to be in a space where others also had disabilities.
“I don’t feel so alone,” he said. “Having a disability can be a very lonely feeling and being around others with a disability, it’s been good. It’s been good to see that people are together in this.”
Kate also summarized what many of us here at RHF consider the conference’s goal: “The more we know, the more we are aware of issues and gaps. It’s growing pains and we need to rebuild all the time. And that has to come from collaborating and working together.”
Insights from the Insiders
#APN2024 served as a global hub for accessibility discourse, drawing attendees from far and wide. Those who attended in person from other areas of Canada included representatives from Ottawa.
“Do you realize,” said one of those government representatives, “that in Ottawa, this conference is the go-to conference on accessibility nationally?”
Said another: “This is the conference you come to for the real answers to the how.”
Presented by the Vancouver International Airport, #APN2024: Building Beyond showcased a commitment to pushing the boundaries of accessibility. Watch the recap highlight video below:
Save the date for #APN2025! Join us on March 27 and 28, 2025, at the Vancouver Convention Centre, with the added convenience of online attendance options.
