About us du Collectif Accessibilité Universelle (AU) - Collectif Accessibilité universelle

Who are we?

The Collectif Accessibilité Universelle (A.U.) is a collaborative project that brings together a variety of organizations to promote universal accessibility throughout the Greater Montreal.

The Collectif A.U.’s main objectives for 2021 were to raise awareness of universal accessibility in the Greater Montreal and to promote a common message and requests in the lead up to the municipal elections.

The members of the Collectif A.U. are currently reflecting on their next actions for the year 2023.

Using an inclusive approach, universal accessibility ensures that all persons, regardless of their abilities, are able to independently and simultaneously access services offered to the entire population in an identical or similar way. Universal accessibility affects all aspects of people’s lives and is based on respect for the rights of all citizens. (City of Montreal definition)

Orientation Committee

The Orientation Commitee is composed of five voting members of the A.U. and also the coordination assured by AlterGo Expertise. Together, they establish important orientations that will guide all strategic decision-making. It is with these guidelines that they write the action plan that carries out the work of the Collectif A.U.

Vision

To make universal accessibility a reality and to ensure the rights of all citizens are respected.

Mission

Mobilize, coordinate, and develop the skills of organisations who are concerned about universal accessibility in the Greater Montreal area; facilitating their ability to carry out collective actions that raise awareness, representation and transfer of knowledge.

Our values

History

Click on the arrows to see the history

2010: LIENS project begins

Initiated by AlterGo, the Comité régional des associations pour la déficience intellectuelle (CRADI) and the Regroupement des organismes de promotion du Montréal métropolitain (ROPMM - now DéPhy Montréal), the LIENS Project aimed to help people with disabilities exercise their civic responsibilities and make their voices heard at the municipal level. The project formed a network of representatives capable of speaking out on issues experienced by people with disabilities and promoting universal accessibility in Montreal. This project lasted 3 years.

2013: Start of the Collectif A.U.

The Collectif A.U. was established in 2013 with the objective of continuing the LIENS Project's work, but in a different form. Focused on the development of skills, its objective is to increase participating organizations’ capacities so that their activities may have a stronger impact as they work towards their goal of universal accessibility in Greater Montreal.

2015: 1st edition of the AU360 Day

As part of the AU360 Day organized by the Collectif A.U., 130 people interested in improving the accessibility of leisure activities met and took part in a series of workshops. The goal was to identify a priority action for each of the 4 axes of universal accessibility (Architecture and urban planning; Programs, services and employment; Communications; Awareness and training) to be carried out over the next year in Montreal.

2016: 2nd edition of AU360 Day

In February 2016, AU360 Day, organized by Formation AlterGo with the support of Centraide of Greater Montreal, brought together more than 100 actors working on universal accessibility initiatives in the Montreal recreation sector. The event was an opportunity to follow up on the priorities established the previous year, to participate in the progress of the work and to set the tone for future initiatives in this field.

February 2019: GO - For a Greater Accessible Montreal

The GO – Pour un grand Montréal accessible was the 1st forum to bring together 183 actors from more than 120 organizations in Greater Montreal interested in promoting universal accessibility in the field of sport, leisure and culture. The objectives were to raise the profile of the term universal accessibility and to identify key priority issues to work on collectively for the next few years. As part of the event, the results of a Léger survey were presented, revealing that only 15% of Quebecers had heard about universal accessibility in recent months.

February 2020: Reorientation of the Collectif A.U.

The organizations involved in the Collectif A.U. formalized their goals: to raise awareness of universal accessibility in the Greater Montreal Area and to establish a common manifesto for the 2021 municipal elections.

October 2020: Collectif A.U.'s position for the 2021 municipal elections

The Collectif A.U. focused on developing strategies to achieve the goal of making universal accessibility a priority for the 2021 municipal elections. Member organizations agreed to conduct an awareness campaign in the spring of 2021 and organise several public representations in the fall of 2021.

February 2023 - Establishment of a governance for the Collectif A.U

The organizations involved in the Collectif A.U have come together to establish a governing structure that will frame all their work: members with specific and precise missions, an efficient decision-making process and a new orientation committee to guarantee the values and orientations of the Collectif A.U projects.

May 2023 - 11th day of the Collectif a.u.

On May 18, Collectif members were asked to define an action plan by forming working committees focusing on awareness-raising, political representation and knowledge transfer.

September 2023 - Relaunch of the awareness campaign

Throughout September, an advertising campaign on universal accessibility was broadcast on RDS and Noovo.

November 2023 - 12th day of the Collectif a.u.

On the 12th day of the Collectif, members gathered to take part in workshops on universal accessibility.

February 2024 - 13th day of the Collectif a.u.

On Thursday February 15, members of the Collectif a.u. met to take stock of actions undertaken in 2023 and to work on those to be pursued in the coming years.