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It is an exhilarating time for Access 2 Entertainment card holders because the program is expanding its scope to include a selection of cultural and recreational attractions across Canada. Over the past few years, the Access 2 team has received many requests from card holders and their families to extend the benefits of the card beyond movie theatres to other venues and attractions.
We are pleased to announce that starting in August, selected venues across Canada will be accepting the Access 2 Entertainment card. Using the same card that you use at the movie theatres, you will now be able to bring your attendant in for free to attractions that are brand new to the Access 2 program.
Enjoy live music and theatre at the Harbourfront Centre, or engage your mind at the Royal Ontario Museum. Explore the newly renovated space of the Art Gallery of Ontario or take in the breathtaking views of Toronto's skyline from the CN Tower. Just show your card, no questions asked. For updates and a complete and comprehensive list of new attractions that are accepting the card, please visit www.access2.ca.
In addition to the exciting expansion of the Access 2 Entertainment program for existing card holders, we are also pleased to offer an opportunity for prospective card holders in the Greater Toronto Area. In celebration of the Centre for Independent Living TorontoÕs 25th anniversary, and with the support of a generous gift from the Dickson Play Fund, Access 2 Entertainment is offering 1,000 free Access 2 cards to CILT members and people with disabilities in the Greater Toronto Area. To view the details, please visit www.access2.ca.
Since 2004, Access 2 Entertainment has been committed to expanding recreational opportunities for people with disabilities and helping businesses improve their customer service standards. To date, over 31,000 people have signed up for the Access 2 card. Many of these card holders can attest to the success of the program and its ability to reduce isolation for people with disabilities, promote a healthy lifestyle and facilitate access to a broad range of recreational, leisure, social and entertainment opportunities.
The achievements of the Access 2 Entertainment program have been in large part due to our sustained partnerships. Disability organizations and corporate Canada have worked astoundingly well together and have lifted the Access 2 program to new heights.
The disability organizations that originally collaborated to develop the program and continue to advise and promote it include: Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians, Canadian Abilities Foundation, Canadian Association of the Deaf, Independent Living Canada, Canadian Hard of Hearing Association, Canadian Paraplegic Association, Easter Seals Canada, Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, and People First Canada.
The Adaptive Technology Resource Centre (ATRC) at the University of Toronto and diversityworX subsequently joined the core group to support the ongoing development and expansion of the program.
The Motion Picture Theatres Association of Canada, led by Cineplex Entertainment, is the program's founding industry partner. Easter Seals Canada is the managing partner and processes the Access 2 card applications and ensures delivery of the card.
For more information, please visit www.access2.ca or call 416-932-8382 x 227.
Article By Vanessa Pfaff and Brian Chan
"Many thanks and much gratitude to those who made the Access 2 Entertainment card available for our family member, Ryan. He so enjoys the movie theatres. His social life and general knowledge have both increased due to his attendance, made possible by this service of yours. Your cost-saving venture for those who are eligible removes a financial barrier, which so many people with disabilities face too often. Thank you for your humanity." -From a family in Edmonton
Landscape of Literacy and Disability (Canadian Abilities Foundation publication) by Ezra Zubrow, et al. 
