Inclusion
The Ottawa Children’s Festival would like to welcome the Anishinaabe People to the 40th anniversary of the Festival. We recognize and acknowledge that the Festival gathers upon unceded and unsurrendered Algonquin territory.
We want to thank you for allowing us to use the land to provide a space for children, families, and schools to come together to celebrate and experience live performing arts from all over the world.
We encourage you to reach out if there is anything we can do or if you have any questions. We hope you enjoy the Festival!
Sincerely,
The Ottawa Children’s Festival
Giinanwiind ga miigwech niigaani izhi abinojinhs domino omaa akiing, gakina odinawemaaganan miinawaa niibiwa akinomaagewigamig bizhaa- mamawi’idiwag ji-jiikakamigad miinawaa gakina eniindamok gida bebakan baweweyaa- wiinendamok wenjiiyaan akina bebakaan akiing.
Giishpin gii-gagwedwewinan gemaa da giishpiin ji-wiidookodaadiwin. Giinawiind imbagosenimaa gii-gii-mino’enendam jiikakakamigad!
Mino ni-gizhiiwaadiziyin niwewinan,
Ottawa Abinojinhsag Jiikakakamigad
Anishinaabemowin translation done by Brian Outinen
Ottawa Children’s Festival Accessibility Policy
The OCF is committed to providing accessible customer service to people with disabilities; in a manner that respects their dignity, independence, integration through equitable practices.
The Ottawa Children’s Festival strives to provide a completely barrier free Festival. OCF is committed to diversity, inclusion and accessibility for all. As detailed in our Accessibility Policy, the Festival policies, practices and procedures strongly promote fairness, equality and gender equity in the treatment by staff and volunteers to all who attend the Festival. Achieving this is a priority, and we strive to create a completely inclusive experience for all residents – 2SLGBTQQIA+, Ottawa’s new immigrants, people of colour, Francophones, hearing impaired, disabled, and all equity-seeking communities and marginalized groups.
Vancouver’s best, Missy D and DJ Slippee, and OCF Operations Manager, Chris Elms, take advantage of the Quiet Tent. Equipped with a comfy couch, changing table and privacy walls, the Quiet tent is open to anyone looking to escape the busy festival atmosphere.
Principles
The Ottawa Children’s Festival is committed to ensuring all shows, services, and programs are provided in a manner that:
- Accommodates all disability-related needs of visitors*
- Upholds the principles of dignity and independence for people with disabilities.
- Promotes accessibility as a core value in every aspect of the festival, from planning and design to execution, ensuring that no one is excluded due to a disability.
- Fosters an inclusive and welcoming environment, where diversity is celebrated, and all individuals, regardless of ability, feel valued and included.
- Prioritizes continuous improvement by regularly assessing and addressing accessibility barriers and ensuring that feedback from individuals with disabilities is heard and acted upon.
*Accommodate refers to the modifications made to the delivery of services, programs, and goods to ensure that they are accessible to persons with disabilities.
Wheelchair Access
The Great Lawn
1525 Princess Patricia Way, Ottawa, ON K1S 3W7
The Great Lawn is a grassy area, the OCF will try their best to ensure full accessibility to wheelchair users by providing designated ramps over the grass, allowing wheelchair users to navigate the venue with ease and enjoy the performances and activities.
If you plan to attend with a wheelchair, please let us know in advance so we can assist with seating arrangements. Additionally, we recommend bringing a companion to help you with your wheelchair for added convenience and support throughout the festival.
Arts Court
2 Daly Ave, Ottawa, ON K1N 6E2
Arts Court is dedicated to providing an accessible experience for all visitors, offering multiple accessible entrances, elevators and washrooms to ensure ease of access.
- The side entrance at 67 Nicholas Street is open during Arts Court hours and features a ramp from the courtyard for smooth entry. This entrance is equipped with an automatic door actuator for added convenience.
- Additionally, there is an accessible entrance located at 2 Daly Avenue on Level 0, providing ramp access directly from the sidewalk. For assistance, an intercom is available to contact the front desk staff, who are ready to support your entry.
The Horticulture Building
1525 Princess Patricia Way, Ottawa, ON K1S 3W7
A beautifully restored heritage space, now used for special events, recreation programs, and community activities. It is fully accessible, featuring an elevator for easy access to all levels of the building. Additionally, there are indoor accessible bathrooms available for your convenience.
If you have any specific accessibility needs regarding the Horticultural Building, please don’t hesitate to contact us in advance so we can assist you in making your visit as comfortable as possible.
Accessible Washrooms
Accessible portable washrooms are located throughout the site, and indoor washroom facilities are available in the Horticulture Building and Arts Court. All washroom facilities are operational during event hours.
Communication
If you or someone in your group requires a translator or sign language interpreter, let us know—we’re here to help. With advance notice, we will do everything we can to arrange these accommodations, ensuring an inclusive and enjoyable experience for all.
Support Persons
Individuals with disabilities who rely on a support person are invited to attend the Ottawa Children’s Festival with their support person.
The Ottawa Children’s Festival is a participating Access 2 Program venue. Upon presentation or verbal confirmation with OCF staff, you will pay regular admission and your support person will receive free admission.
Email [contact@ottawachildrensfestival.ca] for assistance purchasing tickets online. This policy is designed to ensure that people with disabilities can fully participate in the festival experience.
The definition of a “support person” under the Guide to the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, Ontario Regulation 429/07 is as follows:
“support person” means, in relation to a person with a disability, another person who accompanies him or her in order to help with communication, mobility, personal care or medical needs or with access to goods or services (8).
The Access 2 Card is accepted at a wide range of entertainment, cultural and recreation venues, as well as festivals, concerts, and special events in all 10 provinces, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories. Click on the link below for a list of participating venues.
Assistive Devices
Individuals with disabilities are welcome to use their assistive devices at all times while accessing goods, services, and performances provided by the Ottawa Children’s Festival. We encourage the use of any necessary assistive technology that enables a full and equal experience of our festival offerings.
Service Animals
The Ottawa Children’s Festival welcomes individuals with disabilities and their service animals. Service animals are permitted on the festival grounds and within all public areas of the event, including the Festival Box Office. No pets allowed.
Environment
Please be aware that some shows and exhibitions may feature strobe lights, loud noises, crowds, and other visual/ audio stimuli. We encourage visitors who may be adversely affected by these elements to look into the performance summaries (including audio/visual), consult with their doctor if necessary, and plan accordingly.
Training for Staff
The Ottawa Children’s Festival will provide basic training, information, and resources to all employees, volunteers and all other personnel that will be on site. This will help ensure that our team is well-informed about accessibility, inclusion, and customer service for people with disabilities.
Training will cover the following topics:
- An overview of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) and its customer service standard requirements.
- OCF Accessibility Policy and how it applies to our operations.
- Best practices for interacting and communicating with people with various types of disabilities.
- Guidance on how to engage with individuals who use assistive devices, require the support of service animals or need assistance from a support person.
- Steps to take if a person with a disability encounters difficulty accessing OCF goods, services and performances, ensuring that all barriers are addressed.
Through this initiative, we aim to ensure that our team is prepared to offer the best possible experience for all guests, regardless of ability.
Feedback Process
Visitors who wish to provide feedback on how the Ottawa Children’s Festival can provide better services to people with disabilities can do so by contacting us over the phone, in-person, or via email. All feedback will be directed to Justin Kean, Festival Manager [justin@ottawachildrensfestival.ca].
Confirmation will be given within 48 hours of initial receipt. Complaints will be addressed according to the OCF’s regular complaint management procedures.