If you have a household member living with a disability, have you heard of the Easter Seals of Canada Access 2 Program? This program is an access and discount program that businesses and events can voluntarily participate in which allows disabled patrons discounts or free access for a support person.
To apply, a medical professional needs to fill out a form confirming eligibility for the program and an administration fee is charged. To be eligible for this program, a person can be of any age and have a permanent disability where they require the assistance of a support person to attend venues. The support needed can pertain to eating, administering medication, communication, physical access to facilities, or regulation. Once the physical card is received, participants only need to show the card at any of the participating venues across Canada to receive free access for their support person. This means that participants do not need to disclose what additional needs they may have.
Our family has had an Access 2 pass for just over a year, and we have used it across several provinces to access a wide range of venues. Many of the venues are things we wouldn’t have previously been considered – partially because of the cost, but also because our family member’s disability means we often have to leave venues and events much earlier than a typical family might.
The Access 2 pass means that we don’t have to disclose the nature of the disability to every venue. It also means we don’t have to pay for a support person who is often unable to partake in the event or enjoy the venue fully because they are providing support services.
The Access2 website (access2card.ca) lists participating venues across Canada and includes local favorites like Calaway Park, TELUS Spark, and Granary Road; destination attractions across Canada like Whistler Olympic Park and the Canadian National Exhibition; as well as Canada-wide chains like Apex Adventure Parks, Flying Squirrel, and Cineplex.
Trista is a stay-at-home mom and loves to share her discoveries about how to make life work for families of all kinds.
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