Arkell aims for legacy of access and inclusion
Jane Arkell was the perfect choice to serve as the chairman of Canada Games Niagara 2021’s accessibility committee.
The Grimsby native has been the executive director at Active Living Alliance for Canadians with a Disability for the last 30 years and is the co-chair of Brock Niagara Penguins, a swimming, wheelchair basketball and bocci program for youth and adults with a physical disability.
No arm twisting was required for Arkell to accept the challenge.
“It was an easy decision to make because it was something that I was very interested in,” the St. Catharines resident said. “Any sort of Games are a real rush. I have been to numerous world championships and Paralympics so this is just another extension of that.”
The Grimsby and District Secondary School alumnus, who has a background in sports administration and a keen interest in working with people with disabilities around sport and recreation, is ready for the challenge.
“Our goal for these Games is for Niagara 2021 to be the most accessible and inclusive Games ever and to leave a legacy around access and inclusion.”
That involves much more than just welcoming athletes with disabilities to the Games.
“We want to be accessible and inclusive for spectators, the region of Niagara, volunteers, staff and the whole nine yards,” she said. “It is not the just the athletes’ experience. It’s the entire Games’ experience.”
That goal will be achieved in a number of ways.
“We’ll work very hard, not only on the sport venues, but working with a lot of the special events and working with communications in terms of portraying people with disabilities properly,” Arkell said. “We are looking at influencing a legacy plan that is left with the Games and we’re hoping some great legacies might be left behind in Niagara.”
One legacy in particular comes to mind for Arkell.
“We will have 4,000 volunteers working around the Games over the two-week period and we will be doing accessibility and disability sensitization with each one of them,” she said. “Consider when those Games have gone away, 4,000 people from here in Niagara will be much more knowledgable about access and inclusion.”
Right now, Arkell’s committee consists of a working group of about 15 people.
“That will be growing because we will be looking for 10 to 15 additional people who will act as accessibility advisors to each one of the Canada Games committees, whether it’s a venue committee or a sport committee or a special event or closing ceremonies.”
The committee is in the process of recruiting an advisor for each of the committees.
Arkell is excited about the Canada Games.
“It is only going to happen once so it’s going to be great,” she said. “The dedication that Niagara already has and the keen and capable staff that are with the Canada Games Host Society make me confident that these are going to be the best yet.”
