Ampere launches National AccessAbility Week events with gold medalists, local heroes and incredible technology

Paralympic gold medalist Jon Thurston, wheelchair basketball stars Tamara Steeves and Eric Voss, and local champion Wynn Van Kooten, are ready to celebrate accessibility alongside an incredible network of community groups at AccessAbilty in Motion, Ampere Canada’s launch event for National AccessAbility Week 2026.

Tailored to people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds, Ampere is hosting a number of events and workshops as part of National AccessAbility Week, including the chance to meet world-renowned athletes, explore accessible gaming, try out assistive technology and enjoy fun activities for the whole family.

“We’re excited to bring the community together to celebrate local champions in accessibility throughout this entire week,” said Ryan Oliver, CEO of Ampere, in a press release. “As we continue our work to support a sense of belonging here in Kawartha Lakes, we’re grateful to the community organizations, partners, world-class athletes and funders we’ve been fortunate enough to collaborate with, for recognizing the importance of accessibility and inclusion.”

Kicking off the week, on May 30, Ampere and a number of community partners are collaborating to bring AccessAbility in Motion to Kawartha Lakes. Running from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at I.E. Weldon Secondary School, the free-to-attend, fun for all ages event includes presentations from 2026 Paralympic gold medalist Jon Thurston as well as wheelchair basketball rising star Wynn Van Kooten. Attendees will have a chance to “take their shot” at a wheelchair basketball clinic hosted by Tamara Steeves, four-time Paralympian and Commonwealth games gold medalist, and Eric Voss, silver medalist, Canada Games, learn about seniors yoga, and get creative with face painting, games and a creation bar.

Saturday’s event, focused on accessibility in life, play and work, also hosts a variety of community organizations who share the goal of making Kawartha Lakes a more inclusive, accessible community. 

The following Friday, on June 5, the action returns to Ampere’s Kawartha Lakes Makerspace & Skills Hub as Inclusion Arcade offers two no-cost workshops for participants to learn about disability advocacy through an interactive, hands-on exploration of the world of adaptive gaming.

“Participants will explore specialized controllers, assistive technology, and software customizations that break down barriers in play. It’s an interactive session where community members can learn about disability advocacy through the lens of modern gaming, ensuring that nobody gets left on the sidelines,” said Matt Brown, founder and chief philanthropic advocate for Inclusion Arcade.

Wrapping up National AccessAbility Week, Ampere’s expert team of educators will be leading a drop-in session centred around integrated accessible tech on Saturday, June 6.

This youth and family-focused drop-in workshop, running from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Ampere’s Makerspace and Skills Hub, examines how accessibility exists all around us in Kawartha Lakes, and in many cases, has become the standard, plus ways we can make our environment even more inclusive.

More information about Ampere’s National AccessAbility Week events can be found at go.amp.ca/accessible2026.

Funding for Ampere’s National AccessAbility Week programming is made possible in part by funding through the Government of Canada’s Accessible Canada Fund – National AccessAbility Week stream.