Grant: CIHR Café Scientifique Program

Researchers from Canada's largest rehabilitation research centre (CRIR) and their partners wish to host 2 Cafés Scientifiques addressing the physical and social problems/solutions related to participation and inclusion in daily activities occurring in public spaces. 14% of the Canadian population has a physical disability and among those > 65, the numbers increase to 43% nationwide. These figures will increase substantially as the Canadian population ages. Canadians with a disability deserve to lead meaningful lives and to participate actively in society. Commercial spaces (e.g. shopping malls) are important public places in urban and rural centres across Canada, yet their social importance and potential for providing activities and opportunities for improving the social inclusion and participation of diverse populations is often neglected by researchers. The Cafés (one French, one English) will help address this gap and encourage a meaningful dialogue about this issue between researchers and the general public and other multiple stakeholders (e.g. individuals with disabilities, disability advocacy groups, community organizations, rehab professionals, mall developers, architects, policymakers, shop keepers/owners & their patrons). Dialogue during the Cafés will raise awareness within the community about the accessibility challenges (social & physical) faced by persons with disabilities as well as the shared benefits of designing public spaces that facilitate accessibility. The Cafés will improve researchers' understanding of people in the mall (e.g. users/non-users, shopkeepers) and the interrelationships between them as they interact within the social context of the mall. They will provide essential groundwork for the future directions of CRIR's research, and that of others, examining how public spaces such as shopping malls can be transformed into enabling environments to maximize social transactions and meaningful participation in society.