On Wednesday, December 3, 2014, lawyers from Burn Tucker Lachaîne LLP joined in celebrating the contributions and achievement of people who make Ottawa a more accessible and inclusive community by attending the Celebration of People! Celebration of People is an annual awards dinner, which was first held in Ottawa in 2001. The event is always on December 3rd – being the International Day of Persons with Disabilities as designated by the United Nations. This year, for the first time, it was held at Algonquin College.

The awards recognize the achievements and contributions of individuals, businesses and organizations promoting accessibility, inclusion and full community participation by citizens with disabilities.

The 12 award recipients at this year’s event included individuals with disabilities who are advocates for others with disabilities and/or whose personal example of excellence demonstrates the potential of all members of the community. They also include companies, agencies, government and other organizations which have created opportunities for people with disabilities to participate more fully in their workplaces, schools and volunteer organizations.

The lead partner of this event is the Citizen Advocacy of Ottawa. Other community partners include Vista Centre Brain Injury Services, CNIB (East Region, Ontario), Ottawa Community Support Coalition and Canadian Mental Health Association.

Over 300 people attended the award dinner last week. For more information about this great event or to nominate someone today for next year’s event, please consult the website of Celebration of People.