Accessibility
The Town of Antigonish is committed to meeting the accessibility mandates established by the Province of Nova Scotia and to making meaningful progress toward a more accessible community. Through its Accessibility Plan, the Town has identified actions and priorities related to communication, service delivery, and the built environment, recognizing that achieving full accessibility is an ongoing process that requires planning, investment, and continuous improvement. The plan outlines phased approaches and opportunities to remove barriers, enhance access, and improve the experiences of residents and visitors of all abilities. By advancing accessibility and inclusion initiatives, the Town is working to create a more welcoming, equitable, and connected community that supports the wellbeing and quality of life of all residents.
The Town of Antigonish’s original Accessibility Plan was adopted in 2022. The Town aims to address as many action items as possible within each three-year planning cycle.In keeping with this requirement, the Town completed an updated Accessibility Plan in 2025 to reflect ongoing progress, emerging priorities, and continued efforts to identify and remove barriers within the community.
To read the 2025 Accessibility Plan: pdf Click Here(196 KB) .
To view the 2025-2028 Accessibility Action Items: pdf Click Here(3.91 MB) .
Accessibility Committee: Community Accessibility Initatives & Ideas
The Town's Accessibility Advisory Committee is comprised of members of Council, community representatives, and individuals with lived experience who work collaboratively to discuss accessibility-related issues, policies, and initiatives affecting the community. The Committee provides guidance on the implementation of the Town's Accessibility Plan, helps identify strategies to address action items, and promotes awareness and education on accessibility matters for both Council and the broader public. The Committee also values input from residents and encourages community members to share their experiences, concerns, and ideas to help create a more accessible and inclusive Antigonish.
The Accessibility Committee invites residents, organizations, businesses and community groups to share accessibility initatives already underway, as well as ideas that could help make our community inclusive for all.
Your input helps celebrate progress, inspire, others, and identify opportunities for future improvements across our community. Selectd initatives may be highlighed (with permission) by the Town to encourage shared learning and collaboartion.
To submit your feedback online, click here.
A print copy can be available in person at Town Hall or you can download an print a copy by folder clicking here.
Inital Accessibility Plan
The Town of Antigonish and the Accessibility Committee adopted the official Accessibility Plan for the Town of Antigonish on June 1, 2023. The plan was done in partnership with Upland Planning + Design and RHAD Architects.
The purpose of the Accessibility plan is to create a town that is safe for community members and visitors living with disabilities, priortixing a dignified and comfortable experience for everyone.
The plan is in line with Nova Scotia’s Accessibility Act, and recognizes the diversity among people with disabilities and aim to improve the independence and wellbeing of residents, community members, and visitors with disabilities.
To download a copy of the pdf Town of Antigonish's Accessibility Plan, click here(3.20 MB) .
To download a pdf Large Text Version of the Town of Antigonish Accessibility Plan, click here. (13.90 MB)
For audio files summarizing the plan and it's recommendations, please visit: https://soundcloud.com/town-of-antigonish/sets/accessibility-plan
If you need to access the plan in an alternate format, please contact Shannon Long, Director of Community Development at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 902-318-9245.
Inital Engagement Summary
In order to write the report, the Town in partnership with Upland Planning and Design undertook an extensive engagement process.
To read the Antigonish Accessibility Plan Engagement Summary, pdf click here(482 KB) . pdf Click here to read the large print version. (579 KB)
The videos below summarize the findings of a local research project focused on learning from the perspective of local experts with disabilities on accessibility of the built environment. The videos also explore the ways in which the Town can work with local persons with disabilities to deliver results in accessibility, with comments from Mayor Laurie Boucher.
This project was completed by Callie Scott, a student at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, with Supervisor Dr. Amanda Casey (St. Francis Xavier University), in collaboration with PEACH Research Unit. Findings from this project have been incorporated into the Draft Accessibility Plan for the Town of Antigonish.
Provinical Landscape
Nova Scotia’s Accessibility Act mandates the development of both Accessibility Advisory Committees and Accessibility Plans for Municipalities within the province.
For information on the Town’s Accessibility Committee, click here.
The Nova Scotia Accessibility Directorate is responsible for administering the Accessibility Act and advancing disability issues within government, working with persons with disabilities, Municipalities, businesses, post-secondary institutions, and others to achieve the goal of an accessible Nova Scotia by 2030.
The Directorate has published a number of resources for this work, including:
- Planning Accessible Meetings and Events
- Accessibility Planning Toolkit for Municipalities
- Interim Accessibility Guidelines for Indoor and Outdoor Spaces
Two Standard Development Committees were established provincially and have recently submitted their first phase of recommendations on accessibility standards relating to education and the built environment.
Although these recommendations have not yet been established as standards, they are a good starting point, and the Town of Antigonish’s Municipal Accessibility Plan will refer to these documents, as well as the guidelines established by the Rick Hansen Foundation’s Accessibility Certification, a nationally recognized resource.
This Accessibility Plan also falls within the legislative and legal context of the Accessible Canada Act and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
