Contacts
About the Service and Support Animals Initiative (SSAI)
Supporting Organizations
The SSAI is a joint effort, with partners that include:
- The City of Pickering
- The Ontario Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility
- Aequum Global Access Inc.
- The Inclusive Design Research Centre (IDRC) of OCAD University
- and a network of professionals in accessibility, business, and governance.
Purpose |
The SSAI purpose is to collaboratively:
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Resources and Methods |
The cornerstone of the program is networking with a broad range of stakeholders who represent the above groups. Bringing them together in a variety of ways, to identify current issues and collaboratively recommend solutions. This includes facilitating multiple levels of comprehensive stakeholder input through several consultative opportunities. Resources:
Methods:
Outcomes include:
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SSAI - Survey |
Opinions WantedYou have a unique opportunity to influence Ontario thinking on Business & Community Access for Service & Support Animals. Your input is a vital part of the Service & Support Animal Initiative, to help us:
Your input is essential to our efforts and tremendously appreciated.
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SSAI - Innovation Lab |
Register NowWhat is an Innovation Lab?Our Innovation Lab will be accessible, safe, and Virtual! It will use a focused group of informed, and diverse participants, representing multiple stakeholders with different and sometimes competing perspectives and experiences. Through an engaging interactive process, an Innovation Lab:
An Innovation Lab:
What an Innovation Lab can do:
When:To make participation easier, there will be three short virtual meeting modules. In total, participation would require about 10 hours of a participant’s time, as follows:
January 28, 2021. 10:30 am – 12:00 pm.
February 4, 2021. 9:30 am– 12:30 pm.
February 18, 2021. 9:30am – 11:30am.
Why:Our Virtual Innovation Lab (VIL) is the cornerstone of the Service and Support Animal Initiative (SSAI) – To identify the leading challenges among Ontario businesses, services, municipalities, and other organizations to meet public accessibility for service and support animal users. The core areas being addressed include: I. Regulations, Policies & Procedures II. Emerging Issues/Problems III. Systemic/Practical Concerns IV. Education/Awareness & Public Service Innovation Lab participants will explore and develop solutions to mitigate the challenges and barriers arising in these four areas. The results of the Innovation Lab will be used to develop a Monograph resource for all identified stakeholders to include:
All stakeholder engagement, including the Innovation Lab, will include members of the above groups as participants in our process. The Monograph and public forums will help to:
We also plan a Public Launch Event for March 2021, while developing a growing presence of resources on a variety of stakeholder-based websites. How:Bring your creative mind and collaborative attitudes to design new and innovative approaches to solve difficult problems. There is no challenge too big and no idea too small. VIL participants will be assigned to a diverse group of stakeholders and will go through structured cycles of exploration, ideation, and implementation. Each stage advances the VIL, toward effectively building a more accessible community, as follows:
A Zoom virtual meeting platform will be used. Zoom was chosen for its accessibility, flexibility, and familiarity. Each registering participant will receive instructions on using Zoom for our VIL. On-line help will be provided to participants prior to the sessions, when requested or needed. During the sessions, supportive staff will be available to assist with using the platform to fully participate in the process.
After registering you will receive next level details and instructions to make this a functional and enjoyable process for everyone. Accessibility/Accommodations will be asked for and responded to.
PS: If you haven’t already completed our online survey, please click here to help us kick off a fully prepared VIL.
Thank you, sincerely, from the SSAI Team! |